Free Screwdriver by Mari Carr

I’m not sure my arms are quite that muscular.”
    “Gabe.” Casey’s words failed him.
    Gabriel turned to face him. “Is this your answer? We share
her?”
    Casey shook his head, uncertain what he’d been thinking when
he started the damn piece, and then he shrugged. When he began, he’d just
started cutting figures without any plan of who he was creating.
    Jordan had been first to emerge from the clay, which is why
she was so recognizable. Then Casey began to create the man—his features
fluctuating between Gabriel’s and his own. In the back of his mind, Casey
thought the piece would make an awesome wedding gift.
    When the man looked like Gabriel, it was a gift from the
best man to his friend. When the man looked like Casey, it became a gift for
his bride.
    Finally, he gave up on the man in front of the woman and
began adding the man behind. Once his internal battle ended, the art flowed
faster, easier.
    “I’m not sure that’s an option. Seems a bit out there,
wouldn’t you say?”
    Gabriel glanced at the sculpture again. “I would have said
so…but this doesn’t look so out there. In fact, it’s really beautiful.”
    Casey wasn’t sure if Gabriel was referring to the idea or
the sculpture.
    “Have you ever…” Gabriel pointed to the sculpture.
    “God no. Jesus, don’t you think you would know if I had?”
    Gabriel chuckled. “Yeah, I guess that is something
you’d brag to your best friend about. It’s not like we have many secrets from
each other. I recall one night back in college, sleeping on the top bunk and
listening to you with your girlfriend in the bottom bed for hours.”
    Casey closed his eyes, shaking his head in halfhearted
regret. “Yeah, well, I was a lot younger, a lot stupider and three sheets to
the wind. That’s also a lot different then what we’re talking about now.”
    Gabriel nodded. “You’re right. This is different. Have you
ever fantasized about a threesome?”
    Casey shoved his hands in the back pockets of his jeans.
“Sure. But it’s always been me and two hot chicks.”
    Gabriel made a pained face. “Christ. It’s a nice fantasy,
but can you imagine the reality of trying to get two women off?”
    Casey rolled his eyes. “In my dream, the women are helping
each other along too. It’s not just me doing all the work.”
    Gabriel looked at the sculpture once more. “That’s not
exactly the dynamic you’ve set up here, though.”
    “No. It’s not.”
    Finally, Gabriel faced him once more. “I know you’re not
Bruce. And Jordan is light-years away from Paula. I’ve been acting like a
selfish, spoiled asshole these past couple of years.”
    “You were hurt. You—”
    Gabriel lifted his hand. “My life’s been one long
predestined event. Every decision I’ve ever made was because I thought it was
what was expected of me—my major in college, moving home, taking over the
business, Paula. I convinced myself I was in love with her because that’s what
I was supposed to feel.”
    Casey stood. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I
think you did love her.”
    Gabriel nodded. “I loved her. I wasn’t in love with her. And
when the master plan failed, I struck out. Decided to buck the system by dating
women my parents couldn’t stand, refusing to settle down. All of that was easier
than facing the fact that for once in my life I was going to have to make my
own decision. Risk making a mistake. Face being genuinely hurt. Paula didn’t
break my heart, but she did shatter my oversized ego.”
    Casey chuckled. “Pride I can understand.”
    “You’ve stuck by me through everything, Case. You’ve never
let me down, never failed to be there for me. And I know you’ve been trying to
provoke me to jealousy, thinking it would get me off my ass in regards to
Jordan.”
    “Did it work?”
    “Sort of.”
    Casey frowned. “What’s that mean?”
    “When I walked by and saw you and Jordan holding hands at
the mall, I wanted to punch the fucking shit