"Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" (Beach Boys, 1983)

[riptide_asylum]

Title: Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
Rating: PG
Summary: Nick has a little something going on the side with Brandy Prescott. Cody is so not amused.



The sun was high in the sky and the morning clear and bright, but sitting next to Cody on the Riptide's aft bench, Brandy Prescott shivered and scooted closer. She dropped a hand on Cody's bare thigh and squeezed. "A little chilly out here, don't you think?"

"Actually, I'm uh, I'm a little warm. Aren't you?" Cody moved a little ways away and pulled his sweater away from his chest, fanning himself with it. For the hundredth time, he wished Nick would hurry up and get back from Reserves. Ever since he'd left, Brandy had stuck to his side like something very sticky, was the best way Cody could describe it. Every day she'd found some excuse to swing by the boat and hang out, or more often, on.

And while Brandy was fun and easy to look at, Cody was starting to get the idea she was thinking about moving in.

"Cody, I've been thinking," Brandy said, toying with the braided silver necklace at her throat. "Well, I guess it's more like wondering, maybe, you know?"

"Uh, not really, no." Cody hurriedly cleared his throat. "Say, did you want to go do a little water-skiing? The morning's kind of perfect for it. I know this great little bay everyone goes to--"

"I've been wondering--and I know this is kind of forward, Cody, but--I've been wondering: isn't it about time you thought about settling down?"

Cody's heart pounded in his ears and his tongue helpfully tied itself in knots. He stared at the locket on Brandy's necklace and struggled to come up with an appropriate response.

"Look, Brandy," Cody began carefully. He retrieved her hand from his thigh and held it in both of his own. "You're a fine girl, and-and someday you're gonna make someone a good-I mean, a great wife." He toyed with her thumb, just to have something to do. "But Brandy, my life, my l-love, my--well, is--"

"Hey! Anybody home?" Nick tossed his Army duffel over the side of the boat and climbed aboard, grinning warmly.

"Nick!" Cody dropped Brandy's hand like a hot coal and hurried to Nick's side.

"You manage to stay out of trouble, big guy?" Nick slapped Cody on the back, hand lingering there to squeeze his shoulder. His eyes asked the real question.

"Always, buddy. I'm amazed you even asked!" Cody answered Nick as best he could with Brandy still sitting on the aft bench. "Nick, you remember--"

"Brandy Prescott. How could I ever forget such a lovely face? How's it going, Brandy?"

She rose and padded over to the two of them, all big blond hair and sandals, but instead of heading for Cody's side, she stepped in close to Nick, putting her arms around his neck and resting against his hip, grinning sunnily. "It's going perfect, Nick." Lowering her voice, she said salaciously, "I kept him warm for ya."

Nick slid an arm round her waist, his own grin widening. "I'll just bet you did. And?"

Brandy rolled her eyes and slid out of Nick's arms. She reached down the front of her shirt.

Nick held out his hand.

Brandy extracted a folded twenty dollar bill and placed it in Nick's palm. "Fine. You win."

"What?" Cody tried.

"I'm sure it was a valiant effort, and no doubt worth every penny." Nick pulled out his wallet and tucked the twenty safely inside. "You know, Brandy, you oughta go into business for yourself."

"Don't push it." Brandy stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek.

"What?" Cody tried again.

"Bye, Cody," Brandy wiggled her beautifully manicured fingers at him as she stepped to the rail. "My shift at the Western Bay starts in an hour, but maybe next time we can get to that water-skiing, huh?" She gracefully slipped over the side and down onto the slip. The two of them watched her walk up the gangway to their gate. There was a lot of her to watch, Cody had to admit. Still--

Nick burst out laughing and slung an arm around Cody's shoulders. "You should see your face right now, pal, it's priceless."

"I'm not sure I get the joke, Nick. You and Brandy bet on me?"

"Well sure, a little friendly wager, that's all. Right before I left, she asked me if I'd mind if she spent a little time with you while I was gone. I think she was hoping to let me down easy, you know, thinking I had the hots for her while she had the hots for you, and trying to keep everything on the up and up."

"The up and up."

"Sure. So I told her she was uh, welcome to try and also to you know, keep the place clear of any other like-minded ladies."

Cody fumed, hands balling into fists at his sides.

"Oh what?" Nick let his hand fall to the small of Cody's back. "It was just a bit of fun between friends!"

"Fun."

"Yeah you know, fun. Hey, what are you complaining about? You got to spend two weeks with a pretty girl by your side and, you know what else?"

"What?"

"We're twenty dollars richer. Where you wanna have dinner?"

"You bet on me! You bet on me, Nick! Like I was some kind of-of- pony at the track or a-a greyhound, or--"

"Oh will you stop, already? Look, let me tell you a little secret." Nick waggled his finger under Cody's nose. "Hear me out first, okay? Now, how long've we known each other? Give or take."

"Give or take...a decade, maybe. Why?"

"And in all that time, have you ever known me to make a sucker's bet?"

"No Nick, your luck is sort of...remarkable. More than remarkable sometimes."

Nick narrowed his eyes. "That was just one time, man, and it was just to teach those guys a lesson. They were taking money, a lot of money, off of innocent people. Someone had to stop them."

"Well, what about that other time in Baton Rouge?"

"Okay okay, that time, too. Are you complaining? We're still standing on the winnings, aren't we?"

Cody had to admit he had a point.

"But I only bet on sure things, Cody, you know that."

"Yeah, okay." Cody considered a minute. "So?"

"So this was a sure bet."

"Wait a minute, Nick. Brandy told you up front. She said she was gonna make a play for me and you still bet her she wouldn't." Cody considered another minute. "I don't get it."

Nick stepped closer and ran his hand across Cody's stomach, light and promising, and the area just south of Cody's stomach started tingling. "You're the sure bet, Cody. Have been for a decade now." Nick shrugged. "Give or take."

The tingle intensified. Cody grinned. "I am, huh, Nick?"

"You sure are, baby. She never had a chance."

"She didn't, did she?"

"No way, man. Now, I don't mean to sound forward, but uh, I just spent the last two weeks thinking 'bout how I'm gonna enjoy those winnings. And the twenty bucks, besides."

Cody's breath caught in his throat. "Nick."

He stepped closer, only to be stopped by a warning hand on his chest and a look of amusement in Nick's eyes. "You decide on a place for dinner yet?"

"It's ten in the morning! Anyway, I got a much better idea."

"You do, huh?"

"Yeah, I do. Twenty bucks'll buy a lot of bait at down at Harv's. Any chance you wanna spend your winnings going fishing?"

"Sounds perfect," Nick said softly. "You looking to land anything in particular?"

Cody grinned again. "I already did, buddy. Already did."