“Let’s just get this out in the open now,” Brooke looked first to Peter then to the man across from him. “Eddie?” She waited until she had his full attention. “Do you have a problem with me being a lesbian? Does it make a difference to you?”

Eddie gulped, almost choking on his pizza, “Ah…lesbian? You’re gay?”

Peter laughed.

Brooke smiled, “Uh, yeah…I am.”

Eddie grew very serious then leaned in toward her, motioning her to come closer, “Does it make you play the drums better?”

The woman thought for a moment, glancing at Peter who was trying to keep a straight face, then answered, “Not that I know of.”

The young man sat back in his chair and coughed. “I just wondered. Makes me feel kind of better. I thought I might have to ah…ah…”

“Why, you thinking of becoming a lesbian?” Brooke couldn’t resist teasing the blonde. In a way, he reminded her of Sam. He made her laugh and right now, that was a very good thing. She chuckled, as Eddie’s face grew redder, then her eyes sparkled with delight as she looked him straight in the face and winked.

“NO!” His hazel eyes popped out.

“Really? You don’t want to sleep with just women?” Brooke asked as straight-faced as she could.

Peter lightly smacked the woman’s hand, “What’s the matter, you don’t want to get a toaster?”

Sensing that something wasn’t right, Eddie squeaked out, “But I sleep with women now.”

“Hey Eddie,” Brooke taunted him. “I’ll tell you a secret.” She held up her hand to block the fact that she was pointing at the man next to her, then mouthed, “Peter’s a lesbian.”

Now Peter got into the action, trying to see what she was saying. “What?”

Eddie’s face twisted as his brow creased, “HUH?” Then he looked at Peter.

Brooke directed her next question to Peter. “You don’t sleep with men, right?” She watched him shake his head. “Only women, right?” She watched him nod, then smiled and announced, “Then you must be an honorary lesbian.”

Peter’s face turned serious. “Damn. And I thought it was just a plumbing problem, not enough pipe.” The man nudged her shoulder and bust out laughing.

The woman turned back to the young man, “So, Eddie, do you care?”

First he looked at Peter, then Brooke trying to decide what to say. “Ah…No…not really…” He laughed nervously and looked directly at Peter, “She’s kidding right?”

“No, I’m not kidding. I am a lesbian.” Brooke sat back and waited to see what he’d say.

“Nope. Brooke never kids,” Peter nodded reassuringly.

“So…” Brooke locked baby blues on the man, then asked, “Does it make a difference to you one way or the other?”

“No, it doesn’t bother me.” Eddie picked up a piece of pizza and eyed it before shrugging, “I’m just glad that I didn’t waste time trying to make out with you.”

That answer started Peter howling. The thought of the young man laying claim to the woman next to him only proved how inexperienced he was.

“Smart Ass!” Brooke nudged Peter with her elbow. “I like you, kid.” Brooke winked at Eddie as he bit into his pizza.

The familiar tones of Brooke’s cell phone could be heard above the remnants of laughter as the three sat enjoying one another’s company. Brooke pulled the phone from her pocket and looked at the caller I.D. when the silly little grin came to her face.

“Ah…Must be the sweetie,” Peter chided her. “Look at that face.”

Brooke snarled at Peter, then pressed the button, speaking into the phone, “Hi Baby!”

“Hey, I’m not disturbing you, am I?”

“Not at all. We just decided to break for dinner.”

“Hmm…Dinner sounds good. What’re you having?”

Brooke smiled, as she played with her half-eaten piece of pizza, “My favorite pizza place in the country, Brooklyn’s Brick Oven Pizza on Main St. in Hackensack.”

“Oh, I guess that doesn’t come with dessert, eh?” Sam teased knowing how much Brooke loved dessert.

“Nope, no dessert.” Brooke smiled as she wiggled her eyebrows, “Unless, you plan on making a trip.”

“Hmm…Are you ordering a dessert to go?” Sam giggled at the thought.

Brooke cradled the phone closer to her face, and turned slightly, “Only if you deliver.”

Peter choked on his pizza letting go with a string of coughing and wheezes. “She delivers? Brooke, you never told me that,” he said as he reached for his drink to wash the food down.

“Hey, who’s all there with you?”

Brooke smacked Peter in the arm, “Behave,” she said as she covered the receiver of the phone. “Ah, just Peter,” Brooke looked up to see the fourth member of their party sliding his chair out and sitting down. “James and Eddie.”

“Eddie? Who’s Eddie?”

“He’s their drummer.” Brooke gave Eddie the once over. “You’d like him. In fact, he reminds me a little of you. Must be that blonde hair, green eyes thing,” she teased.

“Thinking of switching?” Sam teased Brooke.

“No.”

“That’s my girl.” Sam laughed, “Well, is he any good? You know how I am about drummers.”

Startled, Brooke teased her back, “Why, you looking to replace me so soon?”

Sam smiled, hearing the lilt to Brooke’s voice. “No way. I just want to make sure that you know it.”

Brooke smiled when she heard Sam’s comment. “Ah, he’s pretty good, actually. Then again, he has to be with one green eye.”

“Huh? He only has one green eye?”

“Yeah, the other one is kind of bluish green.” Brooke smiled and winked at Eddie.

“I just love this one drummer. You know, I room with her sister, that’s how I met her.”

“Yeah?” Brooke tilted her head and let it rest on her arm, “What’s she like?”

“You got all day for me to tell you?” Sam teased her again.

“I miss you,” Brooke sighed.

“I miss you too.”

Much to the amazement of the people around her, Brooke acted like they weren’t there at all. Without lowering her voice, the woman said what most would only whisper in public. “I love you.”

“God,” Sam sniffed again, “I wish you were here.”

“Baby, are you crying?”

“No, I…I just miss you,” Sam’s voice trailed off.

James snapped his fingers high over his head, summoning a waitress. “Hey, Red, I’m out of beer. We’ll take another round for the table.” The man glared at Brooke then settled back into his chair.

Brooke let out a disgusted breath, then brought her attention back to Sam. “I miss you too, Baby.”

“Jeez, Brooke.” Peter reached for the phone.

“Hang on a moment, Baby.” Brooke looked at Peter, “What?”

The man grabbed the phone from Brooke and held it to his ear. “Hi there. Who’s this?”

Startled by the change of voice, Sam looked at the phone. “Ah…Where’s Brooke?”

“Right next to me, reaching for her phone.” Peter moved his chair away from the table. “Calm down, Brooke. Behave,” his stern voice sliced through the air.

Upset with his tone of voice, Sam made her intentions known, “Hey, be nice to her or I’ll kick your butt.”

“Oh, Okay. I’ll be nice. Who’s this?” Peter asked. “I’m assuming Brooke’s Sweetie by the doe eyes she’s been making at the phone.”

“Doe eyes?” Sam imagined Brooke with big brown eyes, then laughed, “I’m Sam.”

Peter looked over to Brooke, “You’ve got a feisty one here, Brooke. She told me she’d kick my butt.”

“Yeah, but you’d laugh if you saw me try.” The small blonde laughed at the image.

“I dunno…” Peter looked down at his growing spare tire, “You’d probably be able to do it.”

“So how do you like playing drums, Eddie?”

Shocked, Peter looked at the phone. “I like playing the drums. I used to before switching but, I’m not Eddie.” He put his hand over the phone and giggled at Brooke. “She thinks I’m him,” he motioned to the drummer.

Brooke gave a warning glare to Peter. “You’d better behave,” she cautioned Peter.

“Oh, sorry…ah…” Sam ran the names through her head, “Okay, lets see…Peter?”

“Ah, You get a cookie.”

“How’d you know that I like dessert?”

Peter laughed, “Is that kosher? I heard Brooke mention dessert, earlier.”

“Well,” Sam chuckled, “I’m not sure kosher is the right word.”

“How did that go…” Peter paused for a moment then started into a song, “Smile now and cover me in chocolate. That better?” He looked at Brooke. “I think that was my favorite line out of everything you ever wrote.”

“Did she tell you?” Sam demanded.

“Tell me what?”

“Forget it,” Sam laughed, shaking her head.

“I heard you were quite the A-Z fan. That’s one of the lines in an old song.”

“I should have remembered it. Did she write that?”

“Yeah, she wrote it.” Peter nudged Brooke playfully while across the table James rolled his eyes and took another swig of his beer. Peter blew it off and went back to the phone, “So, you gonna come meet us here and have some pizza?”

“Pizza…I don’t think so. I’m nowhere near Jersey.”

“That’s okay, I’m sure Brooke can send a plane for you, can’t you Brooke?” He watched the woman smile and nod her head. “I think she wants you here, Sam.”

“She wouldn’t do that, I’ve got school.”

Peter’s brow furrowed at the mention of school. “Did you say, school?”

“Well, heck…college really.”

He glanced at Brooke and smiled, “Don’t you have one day where you have late classes or something?”

“Well, yeah. That would be Wednesdays.”

“So, what’s the problem with flying up after class one night? Come on! You know you wanna!”

“God, would I,” Sam said it like she meant it. “But isn’t that impractical?”

“Not at all!” Peter saw the excited look on Brooke’s face, “Okay, then we’ll see you soon.” The man saw the determination in Brooke’s body language as she reached for the phone so he gave it up easily.