Deborah Fletcher Mello - Always Means Forever

Darwin shrugged, the two men laughing warmly together. “Old habits die hard. Just stop me next time.”

“Don’t worry about it. You must have been reading my mind, ’cause I really wanted to try the crab. Now, what the heck is all that other stuff you ordered? The charcuterie and that cheese thing?”

“Their charcuterie is just like an antipasto. It’s a variety of salamis, pickled peppers, olives, and almonds. On the cheese platter, the bûche maître seguin is a goat’s milk cheese served with a black fig jam, the other is sheep’s milk cheese with paprika and almonds, and the tomino is a soft cow’s milk cheese wrapped in Cullatello and served with fresh honey.”

Mecan shook his head. “Do I dare ask what the cream pot is?”

His brother laughed. “Pots du crème! It’s caramel and mocha custards with Valrhona chocolate and cinnamon.”

Mecan adjusted his napkin into his lap. “Well, it sounds like I’ll be eating well this afternoon.”

“I told you I wanted to show the chef some love. You do that by ordering and eating well.”

His brother leaned back against his cushioned seat. “Now, let’s try this again. What’s wrong with you?”

Darwin cut his eye toward his brother, then dropped his gaze back down to the table. “Nothing.”

“Liar.”

“Says you.”

“Says anyone who knows you.”

The two men locked eyes, Mecan raising his eyebrows knowingly. “I know because it’s not often that you ignore a beautiful woman trying to get your attention and you’ve ignored two of them.”

“What two?”

Mecan shook his head. “I won’t even talk about our hostess, but how could you miss the eyes our waitress was giving you?”

Darwin looked over to the woman at the bar, casting furtive looks in his direction as she stood in conversation with the hostess and the bartender. He shrugged again. “You’re crazy. And how do you know they weren’t looking at you?”

Mecan tossed him a look of annoyance. With his elbows propped against the edge of the table he spun the gold wedding band on his left hand between the thumb and forefinger of his other hand. “I think the fact that I wear a wedding band and you don’t might have been the first clue.”

His brother rolled his dark eyes and tossed the woman a second look. This time she smiled nervously, embarrassment flooding her face as she almost dropped the platter she’d been carrying.

Leaning forward, his fingers still entwined in front of him, Mecan’s expression turned serious. “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me nothing. I can see it all over your face. Something’s not right with you.”

Holding his brother’s gaze for a second time, Darwin suddenly felt like the younger brother. He leaned forward in his own seat and whispered as if the duo were conspiring together.

“Yeah, but I don’t know what it is. It’s like…” He paused, gathered his thoughts, then switched gears. “After I talked to you last night, I went to visit an old friend. She and I kick it every so often.”

“Kick it?”

“You know.” Darwin rolled his eyes. “We have a sexual understanding.”

“Is that what they’re calling it these days?”

“You want to hear this or not?”

Mecan gestured for him to continue.

“Well, my girl set the mood right. Candlelight, a bottle of wine, some chocolate syrup…”

Mecan grimaced. “Too much information.”

“Don’t interrupt me.”

“Sorry.”

“We spent some time doing a little cuddling, a little tickling, then jumped in the Jacuzzi. Well, when the moment was just right…” there was a moment of hesitation as Darwin felt his cheeks flush with heat “…I couldn’t perform.” He let his last three words fall quickly from his mouth.

Mecan nodded, fighting not to let a smile cross his face, the muscles pulling against his resolve. Clearly, Darwin didn’t find the problem to be a laughing matter. His brother’s expression was too serious, a sudden wave of anxiety sweeping over the man. Mecan attempted to assuage his discomfort. “Well, that just happens every now and then,” he finally managed to say, his smile not quite a smile as he struggled to keep a straight face.

“Has it ever happened to you?”

Mecan tossed a quick glance over his shoulder, then cast a gaze around the room. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, words failing him.

“See. It doesn’t just happen. And that’s not all,” Darwin said softly.

“You mean there’s more?”

“I mean this isn’t the first time. I haven’t been able to get or keep an erection for weeks now,” Darwin confessed, embarrassment painted in his expression.

“Have you seen a doctor?”

He nodded. “The official diagnosis for my problem is—” he paused, leaning in closer as his voice dropped another octave “—erectile dysfunction, and they can’t find anything medically wrong to explain it. He thinks I should see a shrink, that maybe it’s related to something emotional,” he whispered.

“So, what are you waiting for?”

“I’m waiting for it to fix itself,” Darwin whined, exasperation balancing his words.

Mina moved toward them with their bottle of wine and two glasses. On her heels another waitress was bringing the appetizers. Once they’d been served, she stepped back, pausing for just a brief moment. “Can I bring you anything else?” she asked politely.

Mecan shook his head. “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

She smiled at Darwin again, the look she tossed him a clear invitation for something more. “And you, sir? Can I do anything else for you?” she asked, an air of seduction coating her tone.

Darwin forced himself to return the smile, his expression pained. “This is good for now, Mina. Thank you.”

The young woman nodded as she moved to another station, tossing them both a quick look over her shoulder. Her expression was hopeful yet Darwin seemed oblivious.

“I don’t know what to do, Mac,” he said, his eyes skating over his brother’s face.

Mecan took a deep breath. He could only imagine the man’s frustration. He had never played the field the way Darwin had, and the day he’d met his wife, Jeneva, he’d fallen hopelessly in love. He’d known almost instantly that no other woman would ever be able to make him feel the way Jeneva did. As he thought about his wife and their family and compared it to his brother’s life, an idea suddenly crossed his mind. As if a lightbulb had gone off in his head, he smiled and nodded.

“You need to settle down. That’s what you need.”

“Excuse me?”

“You need to fall in love and commit to one woman. I’d bet my last dollar that would cure your problem almost instantly.”

Darwin rolled his eyes skyward. “You’re crazy.”

“No, I’m very serious. That love stick of yours is probably just tired of being shuffled from one bed to another. And I think your heart is, as well. I’m certain if your heart’s no longer in it, then you’re sure to have problems.”

Darwin pondered his brother’s comments. He shook his head and the two men locked gazes. Maybe, he thought. Just maybe his big brother knew what he was talking about.

The words out of his mouth, though, were pure denial. “I truly doubt that the only cure I need is to settle down with one female happily-ever-after. That fairy-tale crap may have worked for you, but I’m not buying it.”

Mecan shrugged, a wry grin returning to his face as the waitress approached with the first course of their meal. “Suit yourself, but don’t say I didn’t tell you so.”

When Darwin finally made his way back to his office, there was a stack of legal documents lying in a neat pile on top of his desk. At lunch, he and Mecan had quickly changed the subject from his sexual problems to news of family members and their own recent exploits. Although they’d enjoyed an exceptionally good meal, Darwin had actually been relieved when it was over. His brother’s comments continued to haunt him, the idea having taken a firm hold in his consciousness.