2. Are you gonna just stand there like a lamppost?

MICHAEL

"So you are the twerp my sister had been seeing," Jacob said and stared at me intently. His intense green eyes looked through the veil of his eyelashes and bored into mine. I suddenly felt a shiver running down my spine.

I shifted my feet and looked him up and down in silence. I needed to assess him and see what I was dealing with. He was slightly taller than me. He had a strong, well-defined jaw and a sharp nose. His messy black hair was scattered over his forehead and went past his ears but was not quite long enough to touch his shoulders.

I couldn't help but notice the outlines of his muscles that rippled each time he moved. I bet he had six-pack abs underneath that thin t-shirt, I thought.

"Are you gonna just stand there like a lamppost, or are you gonna say something?" Jacob barked.

"Be nice, Jacob!" Alison scolded him.

Jacob didn't look at her and kept his eyes on me. "I would be a lot nicer if I hadn't just witness you sticking your tongue down my sister's throat. You got a death wish, punk?" Jacob glared at me.

I cleared my throat. "Well...I...um...I was just..." I stammered.

His demeanor suddenly changed. "I'm just fucking with you, dude. Alison told me all about you. You seem alright." He placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. His lips curled into a smirk and dimples appeared on his cheeks. My pulse quickened and I suddenly had a hard time breathing as his warmth spread through my body.

Relax, Michael, try to stay calm. He is just another guy like you. I gave myself a mini pep talk in my mind. What the hell is wrong with me?

"Let's start over. I'm Alison's older brother Jacob. It's nice to meet you, Michael. Or should I call you Mike?" Jacob raised his eyebrows.

"Um...yea...you can call me Mike if you want," I murmured.

"But you hate when people call you Mike!" Alison exclaimed. I forgot she was standing right there beside me.

It's true I hated when people called me Mike, but I felt like I wouldn't mind if the nickname came from him. I wasn't exactly sure why. I must have a screw loose somewhere, or maybe I was just intimidated by him.

"It's okay," I said and avoided Alison's surprised gaze.

"Come on, let's go inside. Mom and dad are waiting," Jacob said and urged us to follow him.

The dinner went well. Her parents Ellen and Jonathan welcomed me with open arms, and I managed not to embarrass myself the entire time. Jacob didn't talk much. I glanced at him once in a when he wasn't paying attention. He smiled each time our eyes met and I felt my ears turning hot. I was feeling restless and I needed to snap out of whatever the hell I was going through.

Jacob stood up after we were done eating. "Well, kids. It's been fun, but I gotta go," he said.

"You're leaving?" I blurted out, then coughed to cover up the eagerness in my voice.

"Yup. I've got a date and I am already late, so bye," he said, flashing us a devilish grin.

"You have a date? With who?" Alison asked. Her eyes were sparkling with curiosity. He piqued my interest also, so I stared at him and waited for his answer.

"This smoking hot guy I met at the bar last weekend. He just graduated from meds school. A total daddy," Jacob chuckled.

Oh, so he is gay, I thought. For some reason, he didn't seem like the type who would be gay. But then again, I was no expert on that subject.

"I wish you would find someone nice and settle down, big bro. You know...kind of like how I found Michael." Alison looked at me fondly and smiled. I smiled back then looked at Jacob again.

He brushed his hair back with his fingers and sighed. "Maybe I'm just not as lucky as you." He said to Alison, but his eyes stayed fixated on mine, and I felt that familiar heat rising behind my ears.

"Anyway, later, kids. Try to stay out of trouble," he said and winked at me before he left.

I watched him leave and didn't move for a second.

"There he goes again. Looking for his next victim," Alison giggled. She looked at me and narrowed her eyes when I didn't say anything. "Are you okay? You seem a little flustered," she asked.

I shook my head, finally snapping out of it. "I'm fine. So Jacob likes men, huh?"

"Yup. He came out in high school and had been openly gay ever since," she said.

"Your parents don't mind?" I looked at her questioningly. I grew up in a religious household with closed-minded parents. They aren't exactly thrilled about the concept of homosexuality.

"They were shocked at first. Jacob was very good at hiding it, so it came as a big surprise, but they learned to accept it. They love their son, and I love my brother." Alison smiled. "Why do you ask? Do you have a problem with him being gay?" she asked, suddenly looking worried.

I shook my head. "No, no, of course not. I was just curious. So does he date a lot of guys?" I asked.

"Who knows. He is always out and about and getting himself into shenanigans. Why are you asking so many questions about my brother?" she asked all of a sudden.

"No reason. Maybe I just want to get to know him so we can be friends. You said I should get on his good side, right?" I chuckled nervously.

Alison stared at me for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "I suppose you're right. Maybe three of us can hang out sometimes."

"I would like that," I murmured.

I knew I was being too inquisitive about Jacob, but I couldn't help it. For some reason, I wanted to know more and more about him.