He wasn't wrong.
Brandy showed up the next day at his front door, a disgruntled expression on her face, and an outfit that cost more than Brandon's monthly wages.
AJ was most impressed by his tastes though.
Brandon ushered her inside, and sat beside her, while they sat across from him.
Taking a deep breath, AJ closed his eyes for a second. "Hello, Miss Carlson."
"Technically it's Misses Carlson-Johnson-Degas." She answered smoothly, before breaking out into a broad grin.
Surprised as he was, AJ had to grin back. She was infectious. "My name's AJ."
"McLean." He added after a moment, then nodded towards the man at her side. "I believe you already know Brandon Santos. Though he's explained to me, you know him as Alex Jay."
Brandy's smile faltered for a minute and she stared at them both with hurt and anger. "Whatever you two are up to, I don't find it the least bit funny." She started in a shaky voice as she stood up.
Brandon and AJ both shot to their feet as well. "I swear to you, Miss… Brandy." There was no way he remembered all her names! "This is no joke. We are not trying to trick you or anything."
"I lied." Brandon supplied softly. "I was afraid you wouldn't like me if you really knew I was poor." His colored with shame, "So I used AJ's house and image to get you to like me."
She watched him carefully, her hands on her hips, waiting for him to finish.
Taking the hint, Brandon continued. "We're not even friends." He gave a twisted smile then, "I'm his pool man, so that I can earn money to finish college."
The two guys held their breath as they awaited her reaction.
She bent her head, and when her shoulders started to shake AJ knew he better get the tissues or they'd all drown in the river of tears she'd let loose.
The laughter shocked them both.
"You used him… to get me to like you? And he didn't know about it?" She asked between breaths while she was under the attack of hiccups.
AJ, rolling his eyes, sighed loudly. "Really great person, isn't he?"
Brandon glared at him for a second before turning back to her. "I swear to you, I didn't think it'd get so out of hand. At most, you'd only go out on one date with me, say you had a nice time, and that you'd see me around." His shoulders shrugged, "How was I s'posed to know that we'd click?"
Brandy gave him a hard look for a moment, before her mouth split into a wide smile. "You'd did all that for me?"
He nodded slowly, "Yes, I did."
She threw her arms around him and squealed. "That's so sweet! None of my husbands were so sweet!"
AJ sank back into his seat and ran his hands over his face. Now he understood the attraction between the two. They obviously shared same IQ points.
The couple shared the corner of the couch, their arms wrapped tightly around each other.
"This is all in good here," AJ comment dryly, "but what about the topic of Brynn?" He looked from one to the other. "What are you going to do about her?"
Brandy clucked her tongue sympathetically; "She's been bothering you hasn't she?"
"She messed up my party last night that I hired her to cater, yes."
Her face scrunched up, "I thought she would have done something else to ya then." Her shoulders shrugged, "Maybe she left this one alone."
AJ shook his head, "I don't understand. What would your sister have done?"
She smiled devilishly at him, "Oh, she has her ways of getting even with men who hurt me."
"Really?" Brandon asked shocked.
Brandy nodded, "Oh yeah. She once managed to slash one guy's tires because he yelled at me and made me cry." She grinned, "She's a great big sister. Always defending me and making things fair and even."
While Brandon was chuckling over the news, AJ sat back thinking. "She wouldn't… make a pool over-flow with bubbles would she?" He asked patiently. "Or dye dogs, or sell houses over the internet?"
She laughed loudly, "Yeah, she would." Tears streaked her cheeks now, "Oh God would she!"
"Or … stage a scene in a restaurant? Angry female confronting estranged father?"
Tears were streaking down her cheeks now, "Oh God, would she!"
AJ felt his hands clench on the armrests. He found who'd been messing him all this time...