Brody met Starr in the kitchenette after work. "No cookies today?" He asked after seeing only mugs of milk on the counter.
"Nope. There's a big dinner tonight with a famous artist."
"There is?"
"I ran into him today at Regents, and Gigi invited him for dinner."
Brody felt a punch in his stomach just imaging Starr flirting with an artist; Gigi playing matchmaker; and inviting him to dinner. "What's his name?"
Starr grinned, "Christian Vega!"
Brody felt himself relaxing slightly, "Christian, what's he doing in London?"
"He has an art show at the school's museum. I think we are all going to be invited to the opening." Starr flipped her hair behind her shoulder and grinned at Brody.
"I've never been to an art opening before."
"Me neither. It will expand our horizons. We'd better go downstairs so we know when dinner is served."
"I'll be down in a minute. I'd like to get rid of this tie."
"See you downstairs. You ready, Hope?"
At Hope's nod, the two left the room. Brody quickly got rid of his tie and coat. He would love to have put on a t-shirt and jeans, but didn't want to look like the hired help in the Bucannans' formal dining room. He had spent several months as unsure as Starr if he was really welcome in the house. He had become friends with Kevin and Joey, he realized they really did want him to stay and saw it as part of his pay from BE. He laid the tickets to the cricket match off his dresser; he and Shane would understand the game or die trying!
When Brody walked into the living room, Hope ran over to him with her arms outstretched. "Brody!"
"You have a fan!" Christian walked over to shake Brody's hand.
Brody picked Hope up with his left arm while he reached out to shake Christian's hand with his right. "Christian, great to see you! I guess you can see who my favorite girl in England is."
"I don't know, maybe I'm her favorite," Shane came up carrying a plastic kid's camera, "Would you like to be able to take pictures like I did?"
Hope reached for the camera and Shane as Brody and Christian laughed.
"Are you taking a photography class?" Christian asked.
"Actually, his school is for creative and performing arts. Who knows where he got the talent." Rex bragged about his son.
Joey handed out the beers he had just grabbed from the bar, "I didn't realize you had started a photography class. What kind of camera are you using?"
"It's a Nikon 720s that I borrowed from school."
"You should come down to my darkroom and see if you'd like to use any of the cameras I have." The three artists drifted off to discuss light or something important to photography.
"Have you seen the darkroom? Of course, we have; I wouldn't dream of living in a house without one," Rex said under his breath to Brody.
Brody took a sip of his beer. "It's your family, not mine."
"I know. Let me say again how happy I am to have someone to talk to who doesn't think this is normal."
"Oh, did I tell you that I got tickets today for Shane and I to a cricket game next Wednesday?" Brody asked.
"Better you than me. Just don't hit too many bars afterwards since it is a school night."
"At his age, you or I would have been all over the bars, but Shane seems to be better than that."
"Yeah, I don't where he gets it."
Conversation was interrupted as the Cook came in to announce that dinner was being served. Everyone moved down the hall to the dining room. Brody found himself sitting next to Starr and across from Christian. It was a fun dinner full of laughter and teasing comments.
"Why don't you enroll for the fall semester?" Gigi asked.
"Everyone will be sick of me by then!" Starr looked at Brody, "Wouldn't you?"
Kevin spoke up, "You are family, and there's more room here than anyone knows how to fill. Besides, Asa always enjoyed telling about you trying to take down Max. He would find a way to haunt us if we kicked you out."
"If you are sure…." It would be a reason to stay here and well, see where life went.
Dinner passed quickly. The men decided to shoot some pool downstairs. Brody had won some base tournaments while he was in the Navy, and Natalie had taught him a few tricks when they were together. He like that in this he felt every bit and possibly more confident as Joey and Kevin. The guys had another beer and good naturedly teased each other. Brody won the first game and partnered with Chris for the next game. He liked Chris. The man had been incredibly honorable when Jessica had her breakdown and thought they were dating.
"Okay, guys, I have to ask – what does one do at an art opening?" Brody wanted to know what he had agreed to do.
"Mingle, drink, there's going to be a band so probably dance, compliment the artist on his work," Christian shrugged. "Its nerve wracking for me, but you should be good."
"Kelly's using it as an excuse to go shopping," Joey laughed.
"Shane's using it as an excuse to ask out that girl from school he *doesn't* spend a lot of time texting," Rex grinned.
"I'm looking forward to introducing Erin to everyone. You two should bring a date, as well," Christian pointed to Kevin and Brody.
"Despite my reputation as a workaholic, I am seeing someone. I have to ask her tomorrow," Kevin replied.
"Seeing someone? Why haven't we met her?" Joey crossed his arms and starred at his brother.
"Because I know you two – and your wives. I'd like not to scare her off,"
"Would we do that?" Rex asked.
"Do I think it is a coincidence that the first time I brought Cassandra over that Kelly had just spread all our wedding photos over the living room?"
"She said she wasn't sure if she was right for you," Joey explained.
"It would be nice if I could decide that for myself."
"Okay, Kevin should have a date; what about you, Brody?" Rex asked.
"Like I actually know any available women in London," Brody laughed.
"There are no single women at BE?" Christian thought that was doubtful, and his boy need to move on from Natalie and Jessica. He'd been there and done that and life with Erin was so much better.
"Forget about BE, are there no available women in this house?" Rex pointed out.
Brody starred at him - was he really going to tease him in front of the guys that Starr got to him?
"I heard about you and Starr in the hot tub the other day," Rex wriggled his eyebrows.
Evidently, he was. "She had a muscle cramp, and I was helping her," Brody defended himself.
"With your tongue?" Gigi had told Rex everything she saw the other day. "I would have thought your hands might have been more useful."
"Wait, that sounds like what Kelly walked in on in Ireland," Joey leaned on his pool cue.
Brody sighed. "I won't say I'm not attracted to her."
"Kelly said you had rounded second base," Joey smirked.
"Okay, she's beautiful, and we've kisses a few times."
"Sounds like a good reason to ask her to the show to me," Christian offered.
"I might need more description of what "a few" means," Rex was enjoying himself.
"When I gave Hope the seal, she and Starr gave me a kiss on the cheek to say thank you except Starr and I missed and kissed on the lips. It was nice and more fun than I can remember having in awhile." Brody looked like he could be blushing.
Christian lined up his shot, "Still sounds to me like a good reason to ask her out."
"And when Kelly walked in on you two?"
"Patrick attacked me, and she was checking to make sure I was okay. It wasn't a big deal so I said a kiss from Hope would make it better. She decided to fill in."
Rex and Christian laughed, "Clearly, that sounds like she doesn't like you."
"Haven't you ever heard that adrenaline can make you do things you wouldn't under normal circumstances?" Brody tried to rationalize what had happened.
"Except normal circumstances cause the two of you to start kissing as well," Rex made a kissy face as he said it.
"Okay, fine, yes, I'm attracted to Starr and care for her, however, I'm looking for someone to spend my life with not just to have fun," Brody was frustrated.
Kevin spoke, "She's an incredible mother to Hope. I think finding a good father for her is her top priority, and Hope adores you as much as obviously love her."
"Don't you think we're too far apart in age?" Brody voiced his other objection.
"Age is just a number," Joey shrugged.
Kevin burst out laughing, "Listen to the expert!"
At that point, Christian remembered and started laughing himself, "Hey, it distracted Clint and Vicki from me and Jessica."
Rex and Brody exchanged glances, "How much younger was she?"
Joey paced back to the bar as Kevin caught his breathe long enough to say, "Not younger - our grandfather's dear wife, Dorian Lord."
"Yes, laugh all you want, but what Dorian and I had was real."
Rex put a finger up to his eye and squinted, "Is this the same dragon that dated Clint and is now married to our cousin, David?"
"Yes, it is, but that doesn't mean what we had wasn't real," Joey knew it had been more.
"Okay, always something new to find out about my long lost family. Anyway compared to all that, " Rex gestured toward Joey with his hand, "I don't think you and Starr could possibly be that controversial."
"Fine, I'll ask her tomorrow. But I'm blaming all of you for whatever happens." Brody went to chalk his cue, "Now can we please play some more pool?"
Joey leaned over to Christian, "He just wants to win some more money off of us."
"I have to pay for the date, if Starr says yes."
Author's Note: Yes, I do still totally picture Nathan Fillion as Joey.