Kevin ran a fast hand through his hair. “Hey, big brother, what are you—”
Aidan shoved him aside, walked into the living room and pulled out the letter. “What in the hell were you thinking?”
Kevin eyed the paper then collapsed onto the couch. “Corri sent you.”
Aidan strode to the sofa and loomed over him. “Corri didn’t want me to come. But I’m here now, and you have some explaining to do, so you damn sure better get to it.”
After propping his bare feet on the coffee table, Kevin leaned back and stacked his hands behind his head. “I don’t have a lot of time to get into this. My flight leaves in three hours, and I’ve already had to change it once due to another appointment. Besides, this isn’t any of your damn business.”
Aidan would wager that his brother’s so-called appointment wasn’t at all work-related. “I’m making it my business, Kevin. You could have been man enough at least to end it in person.”
“I don’t like messy goodbye scenes,” Kevin said. “It’s a lot easier to make a clean break without having to face someone.”
That only angered Aidan more. “You’re a coward, Kevin. You don’t deserve Corri. You never have.”
Kevin smiled, a smug one. “I guess you’re going to tell me that you deserve her.”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“Sure you do, Aidan. You’ve always wanted her, and for months now, you’ve been royally pissed off because I got there before you did. But now she’s all yours, if you don’t mind having my leftovers.”
Aidan hung on to what was left of his composure, and tempered his tone when he said, “I’m not even going to justify that with a response.”
Kevin came to his feet. “And I’m not going to ignore what Corri said about me on her show today. My boss’s wife was watching, and she told him about it. I’ve just received a promotion to senior staff reporter at the magazine. If my position’s in jeopardy because of Corri, I’m going to sue her and the studio for slander and defamation of character, I don’t care if you do own the place.”
Right when Aidan started to say that you couldn’t defame a man with very little character, something caught his attention. Something that looked a lot like a cheerleading costume draped over the back of one dining-room chair. He crossed the room and picked up the sweater, noting it held the insignia of a professional basketball team. “Unless you’re trying to get in touch with your feminine side, I’d say the owner of this is probably behind your bedroom door.”
Kevin came at him quickly and grabbed the sweater away. “Get out, Aidan.”
Aidan fisted his hands at his sides, resisting the urge to plant a left hook in his brother’s jaw. They’d had the normal scuffles growing up, but not once had he slugged any of his brothers. Always a first time for everything. Then he considered something more effective. Something that could hurt Kevin worse, a direct blow to his professional reputation. “If you make any more noise about suing Corri, I’ll have a talk with your boss myself. I’ll let him know that you’re more interested in screwing the pep squad than in doing your job.”
Aidan didn’t wait for Kevin’s response before he was out the door, opting to nix the elevator and take the four flights of stairs in order to blow off steam. He hoped his threats worked, otherwise Corri could be in for a legal battle with her fiancé. Ex-fiancé, Aidan amended. That was the only good thing that had come out of this day.
Corri was no longer with Kevin, and that meant she was free to do as she pleased, and he would have no problem helping her get over his brother. He could make the fantasies a reality, even if it meant taking it slowly. Otherwise, she could run away again before he had his chance.
Two
For three hours, Corri wandered aimlessly around her apartment, picking up the clutter she’d ignored for several weeks. She’d never been a domestic goddess, although her kitchen was always spotless. Her bedroom was another story altogether. Her clothes tended to stay where they’d landed until she’d gathered them up to do laundry. Several pairs of shoes could be found lying in various places, some beneath her bed. She’d grown up in such a sterile environment, with everything always in its place, that she enjoyed the freedom of making a mess whenever she wanted, until she couldn’t stand it any longer. And right now she couldn’t stand it. She needed some order in her life. She felt as if she’d been strapped into a roller coaster, with no way to get off the chaotic ride.
Fortunately for her, on the few occasions Kevin had visited her apartment, he’d never left any real reminders. For all intents and purposes, it was as if he’d never been there at all. Or even been in her life to any degree. Probably because he really hadn’t.
When the doorbell buzzed, Corri worried it might be Kevin coming by to make amends at Aidan’s insistence. If it did happen to be him, she would gladly take the opportunity to toss him out on his butt, as she should have done months ago. Yet, when she peered through the peephole, she didn’t see Kevin. She saw his brother standing on her porch, and that was quite a surprise. Aidan had never paid her a visit before.
Corri opened the door, immediately regretting her unkempt state. “What are you doing here?”
He held up a brown paper bag. “I brought some wine. I thought you could use a drink.”
She could. Several, in fact. “By all means, come in.”
Aidan followed her into the living room and shed his jacket. “Nice place. Kind of a long drive from downtown.”
“I like the quiet neighborhood.” She liked the way he looked right now with his navy sweatshirt, well-worn jeans and loafers. Not that she’d seen him ever look anything but great. “You know, I’m so used to you in a suit, it’s almost always a shock to see you in casual clothes.”
“I guess we’re even then,” he said as he tossed his jacket over the back of one chair. “I’ve rarely seen you without all the stage makeup, or your hair down.”
Her hand immediately went to her stringy hair. She hadn’t bothered to dry it when she’d left the shower. In fact, she didn’t remember brushing it. Not to mention, her T-shirt and sweats would qualify as too ratty to exist. “I’m a mess.”
“You look great.”
Considering the appreciation in his tone, she might actually start to believe it. “Thanks. Now come have a seat. I was just about to make something for dinner. Have you eaten yet?”
“No.” He dropped down on the sofa and set the bottle on the table. “But you shouldn’t have to cook. We could have Chinese delivered. Or pizza.”
“Believe me, it’s nothing fancy,” Corri said on her way to the miniscule kitchen. Not unless he considered hot dogs fancy, because that’s exactly what she’d planned to have. Nuked hot dogs. She’d gone to the grocer’s on the way home and stocked up on junk food—major junk food, including double fudge cookies, and Italian soda. Tomorrow she could go to the gym and attempt to reverse the damage.
Corri microwaved three hot dogs, one for her and two for Aidan, and after gathering all the fixings and silverware, placed them on her nice teakwood tray. She opened the cabinet and took out the gold-rimmed wineglasses Kevin had brought her from Pamplona back in July, an attempt to make amends for missing her twenty-ninth birthday. If they weren’t so pretty and ornate, she would happily throw one against the wall just as she had the ring.
After slipping a corkscrew in her pocket, and tucking the bag of chips under her chin, she carried the tray into the living room and slid it onto the coffee table. “Here you go. Franks à la Corri.”
Aidan eyed the hot dogs for a few minutes. “The cloth napkins add a nice touch.”
And they looked somewhat odd alongside the paper plates,