Page 20 of Broken Pieces
“By what?”
“Ughh, nothing. Yeah, just a bird outside.”
“Really? A bird? I said your name five times before you answered,” she says.
“Well, it was a really big bird, oh my god!” I squeal as I see Brooks turn around and I get a full frontal. Definitely big but not a bird.
“What the hell, Rae?”
“Holy shit!” I still am at a loss for words as I stare at the perfectly sculpted specimen of a man showering off outside. He suddenly looks up toward my window and smirks at me as he lets his hand travel down his body.
I squeal again and fall off the bed with a thunk onto the floor.
“Rae, what is wrong with you?” Tacoma shouts into the phone.
I am at a loss for words but manage to get out big and naked.
“A big, naked bird? Well, that’s a first. Maybe you should take a picture.”
“Oh my god, Tacoma he saw me staring,” I mutter into the phone embarrassed.
“Oh, so this big naked bird was really a man, huh? He get your feathers in a twist?”
“Shut up! He saw me watching him. He was hosing himself off. Outside. Naked!”
“Well, that is infinitely better than hosing off with clothes on.”
“But he saw me and then he started touching himself.”
“Please don’t tell me it was an old man. That is just wrong.”
I crawl toward the window trying to see if he is still there. “No. Not old.”
“Well, who was it then? I am dying over here, Rae. I am literally looking out the window at a brick wall and you are seeing young, attractive men getting dirty with a watering hose.”
“It’s one guy Tacoma. Not a whole slew of them.”
“Well it should be. I’m gonna pretend that it is. Now fess up, who is it?”
“Brooks Anderson.”
“Ugh really? He is bad news,” Tacoma says sternly.
“Why does everyone keep saying that?”
“Because he was a bad kid in high school and he got worse after. I know that some shit happened to him, but everyone I know from high school doesn’t really talk to him anymore.”
“Well don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen. I need a break after Logan. But that doesn’t mean I can’t look, right?”
“You can look all you want, sister. But he wasn’t that good looking in high school. I mean he was cute, but he was thin. I like a man that can support me as he bangs me into submission against a wall.”
“TMI Tacoma. You might be my sister, but I don’t need to hear about your sexcapades. And he is all muscle now. Like Greek god. Like Chris Hemsworth.”
“Mmm, Thor. I need to see this for myself. Take a picture!”
“Yeah and get creeper of the year award, no thank you.”
“Shit,” Tacoma mutters into the phone. “I need to leave for work in ten minutes. And I am still naked from my shower.”
“Gross, please don’t tell me when you are talking on the phone to me naked. Keep everything to yourself that has to do with sex and nakedness.”
“Whatever, prude. I love you. Don’t be a stranger. Call me when you need to talk.”
“I will. Love you too.”
“And stay away from Brooks.”
I crawl back on to the bed after checking that Brooks was no longer outside. I have no problem staying away from him. But why does everyone want me to?