Ch. 2 - My brother Jay

I woke up the next morning with my stomach in a swirling mess of giddiness; I hadn't felt like that since I was a teenager. Now, after a night filled with dreams of his chestnut eyes sparkling beautifully above his full yet tender smile, I'm filled with butterflies like a teen girl with a crush.

When's the last time a guy has looked at me like that, I wondered as I clung onto my pillow in the same tight embrace I'd held it all through the night. If, in fact, they ever have.

I'd spent the whole evening with Jamie that night at Noir's coffee house, listening to and then discussing the spoken word acts, and then, after the show had finished we'd sat together until closing time speaking about any and everything with Jamie's attentive eyes never leaving me whenever I spoke.

"Okay, okay," I muttered out loud as I sat up on my bed and patted my hands over my face. "Time to get your head out of the clouds and firmly grounded back in reality."

I had a busy day ahead of me and I couldn't afford to slip into romantic delusions about a guy I might never see again; we hadn't even swapped numbers which, if anything, meant that our relationship was never intended to go past that one night.

"You got in late, didn't you?" my brother, Jason, asked when I got down to the kitchen. "Did you meet somebody at the Noir's?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yeah, I actually would."

I gave a small headshake and sat at the table where Jason had set my coffee and toast, Jason sat opposite with his usual bowl of cereal and orange juice.

Since my promotion earlier that year, Jason had had the self-appointed task of preparing breakfast; his way of ensuring I ate something before leaving for work.

"So ...," he coaxed after a few minutes when I didn't respond.

"Yeah, there was a guy," I said with a dismissive wave.

"I knew it. You sounded kinda shady when I called to ask where you were."

"I wasn't acting shady. It's just weird when your teenage son calls to ask what you're up to and this hot guy is staring at you."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Veronica, you've got to stop with the teenage son story. I get why you started the whole, 'I've got a kid' routine, but I'm a big guy now. You don't need to keep being my mom."

A small, whimsical smile spread across my face. It was true, Jay, as I always referred to him as, was almost a man and, except for finances, he rarely needed my help with anything.

I had just turned eighteen when our parents died in a car crash. Well, it was Jason's father, ironically my father had died in a car crash when I was five years old.

Jay had been in the car with our parents too, but safely strapped in the back in his car seat. It was the front of the car that took all the damage, killing our parents on impact, at least that's what we've always been told.

I had been away studying at the time, and Jay was taken in by an uncle. However, due to our uncle's age, having a one-year-old son had proved a little too difficult for him.

I knew nothing about raising a child, but I did know that I didn't want Jay to be turned over to care. So, the answer was simple, I gave up my studies, got a job and a small flat, and then took him in myself. A process that was a hundred times more difficult than the degree I had been preparing to take, which I did manage to complete after Jay had started full-time education.

"I don't think I'm ready to give up my position as your mom yet," was my simple response.

"Yeah, I know," he said pushing my plate closer in a gentle urge to get me to eat. "That's why you've got to find yourself a man. Then you'll have someone else to dote over other than your little brother."

I laughed easily despite the sting I felt from his words, and I couldn't help teasing, "Never gonna happen," I said giving Jay's golden locks a scuffle which elicited a deep groan from Jay.

It was easy to pass him off as my son as no one would ever guess we were siblings. Along with my curly brown afro hair, I also sported my father's milk-chocolate coloured skin. Jamie, on the other hand, took directly from his father, with his golden waves and white skin. The only thing we did share was our mother's light brown, almond-shaped eyes.

"That guy, Veronica?" Jay said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "What happened?"

Jay isn't easy to put off once he has his mind on something, I thought, giving a small shake of my head. "Nothing happened," I answered, feeling a lot more disappointed than I let on. "We enjoyed the show, talked a bit and then went home."

"Are you gonna meet again?"

"Doubtful. He was nice, but I don't think he was interested in that way. Especially after I told him my age."

"Because what? He's some freak trying to hook up with a teenager?"

"I said he was nice." I balled up a table napkin and threw it at Jay. "Besides, he would be better matched with a teenager."

Jay's eyebrows dipped as he tried to align my two statements.

"He was twenty," I said when he remained silently in thought.

"Woah," he said, his eyebrows jumping up from dipped to high. "So you were the freak trying to hook up with a teenager."

I reached across the tablet to grab the napkin near Jay and then rolled it up and threw it at him. "He isn't a teenager, and I wasn't trying to hook up with him."

"Seriously though," Jay said, straightening the napkin back out. "You've still got it V, I thought I had all the looks in the family."

"Ha ha," I replied dryly. "You'd better hurry up or you'll miss the bus."

"Right, I'm on it."

Jay picked his empty bowl and glass up from the table and put them into the sink before running up the stairs, and was back down a few minutes later pulling his shoes on at the door.

"Oh yeah," he called from the doorway. "I'll be a little late today, we're taking the new kid down to the arcade."

"New kid?" I called back, walking into the hallway.

"Remember I said a new kid joined the school last week. He's pretty cool, so we're all gonna hang out."

"Fine. Just be back by ten and make sure your phone is on."

"Yeah. Sure thing, Mom," he said with a chuckle and then ran out the door.