Broken Wings

Part Three - Intrigue and Fatigue

Aaron watched Julia go. He was amused at his interest in her. Really he knew nothing about her, but there was something that dragged his eyes and thoughts back to her. Then he watched her hook up with Peter Smith. That didn't fit. He knew Luke's friend, he'd done for years, and he really didn't think that he was good enough to be her significant other. Despite everything, he could see she was vivacious, energetic, he imagined she lived life off the cuff. Peter...he was an accountant. He laughed to himself, that was a ridiculous conclusion, but it was true. He remembered him as they annoying friend of his brother, a childish fool. Maybe a lot of time had passed since the days when Luke and his friends had plagued him every day and night of the summer holidays before he headed off to the US. Peter could be a changed man. But he KNEW that Julia was complex, more that most women, she was different, and he wasn't up to that challenge.

And you are?

He baulked at that thought. He wasn't here to complicate things, and he definitely wasn't interested in shitting on his own doorstep. Julia was going to be one step away from family. He had to let go of any thoughts he had about her. He didn't want her, that wasn't what this was. But Peter? He groaned. Ridiculous. Then he had a thought. Maybe she only wanted him for tonight...he wasn't unattractive...but he was safe. Suddenly, Aaron felt like he got it.

With a sigh, he leaned back in the seat. God, he wished Melissa hadn't invited him around three weeks earlier, if he hadn't found her flatmate Ryan with his head between her legs, she'd be with him now and he could drag her into the bathroom and ease his frustration. Hell he wouldn't have even noticed Julia if he'd been with Melissa. She was traffic stopping, blonde, willowy with long legs and perky tits. Everything he loved at a superficial level.

Fake.

That word shocked him, because, yup, Melissa's curves were courtesy of an LA surgeon. Julia's most definitely weren't. Pervert. That wasn't the first time he's realised how lewd he was being. That wasn't him; the jetlag was doing strange things to his head.

Glancing around he realised he had nothing but his own company and the vivid images of how the night was playing out for various people, including his brother, Abi was whispering in his ear as the two danced, draped around each other to the tune of some sickly ballad being plated by the DJ. Thankfully the party was dwindling, his mother had long gone; now he just had to wait for the two love birds to call it a night, and that couldn't happen soon enough.

Luke was drunk. Very drunk. Seemingly his bravado at his earlier big display had led to a crash in his adrenaline, and now he was a soppy drunk. Which meant that Aaron had him draped around his neck telling him how much he loved his fiancée, how he was a wonderful brother, and that he was the happiest man alive on a loop as he followed Abi into the apartment, in the early hours of the morning.

Dragging him into the bedroom that she indicated as hers, he tossed him down onto the bed, then smiled at his soon to be sister-in-law, "do you need me to help?"

Abi laughed, "I'll take his shoes off, that's as much as he's getting. Thanks for your help."

"Do you mind if I make a cup of tea? My fatigue seems to have passed, I am now WIDE awake!"

"Are you sure you wouldn't prefer whisky? We have a decent bottle in the kitchen."

He shook his head, "oh no, I have had too much already. Do you want a cup?"

She followed him back out of the bedroom then glanced at the opposite door; he presumed that was Julia's bedroom. Then he realised how loud they were talking.