03-04-2016, 01:39 PM
Bryce must have thought Riane looked lonely sitting in her room on a Saturday afternoon. That was the only reason Riane could come up with for why he asked her to come with him on his errands. He even tried to bribe her by saying he would buy lunch.
Of course, she was lonely. Not speaking with Joe made it difficult to go anywhere or have to a friend to be anywhere with, and it was not like she could contact Blake at this junction.
Bryce hadn't asked her to do anything with him since the party fiasco. He had been pleasant to her, but overall a little distant or so she concluded. She didn't really know if this was just his normal behavior or not.
Standing in an office supply store, Bryce was picking out school supplies for an art project he was working on. She hadn't asked any questions as she was more surprised that he was taking an art class than anything else.
After a couple moments of him talking about the differences in painting in water versus oil, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She picked it up when he started mumbling to himself about what colors he would be using.
It was a text from Julian. “Where the fuck are you? How did you escape with no car? Let's go to Dalen's house.”
She rolled her eyes with a smirk on her lips and replied. “Out with Bryce for art supplies then we are going to lunch.”
“Where are you? I'll come get you.” Was his immediate reply.
“That Julian?” Bryce asked when he noticed her holding her phone.
“Yeah, he wants to go over to hang out with the guys.” She informed him while trying her best not to lean on anything as her legs grew tired from all the standing and walking.
Bryce was not one to make decisions lightly it appeared.
He chuckled, “Well, tell him that you have already given me your afternoon. He'll have to wait his turn.”
“I already did. He wants to know where I am so he can come get me.” She put her phone back in her back pocket. “I guess I'll just ignore the question for now.”
He put some brushes into the hand held red basket he was carrying. “He is really into having you where ever he goes. I've never seen him act like this with anyone before.”
“Yeah.” She cleared her throat as the two walked down the isle of paint supplies. “Why don't you have a girlfriend?” She didn't mean to sound so blunt, and the question seemed to startle him briefly before he smirked.
He turned to look at her directly. “You know how guys can stand around and point out girls saying things about their bodies and what they would like to do to them?”
“Yeah.” Her phone vibrated once more.
“I've never felt that way about anyone. I can't just see someone and be sexually attracted to them. I have to get to know them. They have to be my friend first, then I will start seeing them differently.” He adjusted the basket on his arm.
“I see.”
He sighed, “Unfortunately, for a guy that means getting put in the friend zone a great deal or having girls get boyfriends before I realize my feelings.”
“That's interesting that you say that. I have always felt something in the same vein. Joe talks about how good looking a guy is and how she would love to sleep with him, but I can see that he is handsome I just don't feel that way towards him.”
He nodded, “I thought I was an abnormality for a long time, but it turns out there are a lot of people like us.”
The inclusion that he made her feel also produced a soft warmth in her chest. She cleared her throat, “I have never had a boyfriend so I do not have further information on how I would feel towards them.” There was another sound of a vibrating phone coming from her pocket.
Bryce slowly nodded his head, “You did like Blake though right?”
Suddenly, she did not like where this conversation was going. She was not going to admit in the middle of an office supplies store whether or not she had sexual feelings towards Blake.
In an attempt to fight the uneasiness, she cleared her throat and shifted from foot to foot before putting her hands behind her back.
Bryce laughed, “I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I thought we were having an open conversation about this, and obviously I took it somewhere you didn't want to go. I apologize.” With that, he turned back around and started shopping again.
“I didn't mean to shut the conversation down.” She told him as she walked beside him. “It is just that I don't like to talk about that with anyone, and the less others talk about it the more hopefully Blake can forget.”
“So you can be friends again?”
She nodded with a sigh. “We have been since middle school, and I feel he is uneasy around me now.”
“How are you feeling towards Julian?”
The question made her hold her breath for a moment, but the sound of her phone vibrating forced her to breath. “Um, nothing has changed in the last couple of months. Why?”
“I think Julian is feeling a little different. Check your phone.” He laughed to himself as he put his basket on the belt and began talking to the cashier.
“Hello? Where are you?”
“Are you ignoring me, dick?”
“Hey, asshat, I asked you where you are?”
Riane chuckled and replied, “Yes, I am ignoring you. I am hanging out with your brother this afternoon. Go play with the boys by yourself.”
“Don't call it playing it sounds fucked up! Where are you?”
She sighed, “It doesn't matter we are about to leave.”
“Did that boner take you to an arts and craft store?”
Riane shook her head as she laughed, “No, office supplies.”
“Ugh, so lame. I'll come get you.”
She looked up at Bryce who was taking his bag from the cashier and she began to walk out of the automatic doors. “He is trying to get me to tell him where I am.”
“Tell him that it is too late, we have already left and we are going for lunch. If he asks where tell him that I am not telling you, and I threatened to take your phone away if you tell him when we get there.” Bryce was only kidding, but that didn't seem to register with her.
She sent the message and they walked together to Bryce's black Jaguar. He opened the door for her and allowed her to climb inside before shutting the door for her as well.
When he climbed into the driver's seat, he looked over at her. “So, what do you feel like eating? I am down for anything.”
“Well, um. I've never really eaten out before, so why don't you pick?”
He seemed to think for a moment, “Let's go to an eclectic place so you can pick something different than?”
“Sure.”
“Don't tell Julian.” He jokingly threatened.
Riane put her phone in her pocket after reading Julian's last text message.
“Tell him to fuck off. Come on, it'll be fucking boring without you.”
Joe sat on the couch in Dalen's living room. He had made a fire before she came over, but he swore he made it before she called to invite herself over. She didn't know if she believed him or not, but she was too upset with herself to care.
That morning she had called Riane three times and she knew that she was purposefully sent to voice mail. She had sent a couple texts asking if they could talk, and they went without answer. She had never had Riane mad at her so much that she actually refused to speak to her. Riane was always willing to hear a person out in order to understand and eventually forgive. This new behavior was terrifying to her friend.
Dalen entered the room from the kitchen door and placed a cup of tea on the coffee table in front of her, before sitting down on the couch beside her. He was turned so that he was facing her, and reminded her more of a psychologist than her boyfriend.
Boyfriend? She didn't know if that was the right word. They had been seeing each other for a couple months now, but there had been no labels applied. Last time he introduced her to anyone he had called her a friend.
Of course, that could be that they were both too nervous to test the waters and find out anything that might make each other uncomfortable in their relationship.
Joe sighed, “You were right. I shouldn't have done that. I tried to explain but Riane just wanted me to leave.”
He nodded his head slowly, but didn't add anything else.
“Riane has never had other friends before, but she has also never given me the silent treatment. I am beginning to fear that now that I and Blake are no longer her only options that we are expendable.” She inhaled deeply.
“I doubt that.”
“I am such an idiot. I was caught up in my own desire to make sure that Julian didn't turn Riane into an ass like him that I forgot about actually being a friend.” She used both of her hands to rub her face in frustration.
Dalen sat quietly while she made a couple grunting noise.
“What? Are you not going to scold me?” Her voice went slightly high pitched.
“Seems like you are doing a good enough job as it is.” He watched her stare off into the distance for a moment. “Try the tea. It's candy cane flavored. Nice and minty, it'll help calm you.”
Joe didn't want to tell him that she wasn't a big warm beverage drinker, but instead she leaned forward and picked up the transparent glass cup. Holding it in her hands for a moment she was able to get some of the aroma before taking a small sip.
“That's strong.” She coughed slightly.
Dalen chuckled at her reaction.
“My whole mouth tastes of Christmas now.” She coughed a little more before setting the cup back down on the coffee table.
“I know, it's horrible.” He laughed.
“Then why did you give it to me?” She playfully smacked him on the shoulder.
“I am trying to find someone to take it off my hands. I feel bad throwing the whole thing away, because I bought six boxes.” He told her with a grin as he tried to block her blows.
“Six boxes? Why would you buy six of anything before testing it out first.”
He shrugged and tossed his hands into the air. “I like candy canes. I figured that I would like the tea version too.”
Joe laughed, “Did you try Seth?”
“Yes, he turned ten shades of red like he couldn't breath after tasting it. Julian flat out refused to drink tea, but I haven't tried Riane yet.”
She giggled, “Wait until this blows over, I want to see her reaction.”
He leaned forward and kissed her lips, “At least your breath is minty fresh now.”
“I brushed my teeth. It already was.” She shoved him away playfully. “I can't imagine who would like such an overbearing concoction.”
They both perked up when they heard the door open down the hall and in walked the man they expected to see.
Seth had a look of annoyance on his face as he entered the pink living room and tossed himself on the couch on the opposite side of the room from him.
“I knew I should have driven myself.” He mumbled.
“What?” Dalen asked.
He glared towards the doorway. “Julian convinced me to let him come get me, and all he did was complain about Riane being with his brother and not coming to hang out with us.”
Joe looked at Dalen, “Did you know he had plans of bringing her here?”
He shook his head, “If I did, I would have told you. I didn't even know that they were going to show up today. My house is rather open to all my friends whenever they want to come over. Hell, Seth comes over here to eat even when I am not home.”
“It's better when he isn't here.” Seth joked.
“Where is Julian?” Joe asked when she thought enough time had passed for him to park his car and walk to the door.
“He is trying to find out where Bryce took her for lunch, and she isn't answering him.” Seth chuckled, “Man, this is fucking weird, right?”
Dalen nodded in agreement and looked between his two friends. “Why does he care so much that she is hanging out with Bryce?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. When I told him he was acting like a jealous boyfriend, he told me to fuck off.” Standing up, Seth walked towards the kitchen and stopped to look at the tea on the table. “Did he trick you into trying that shit?”
“Yes, it is horrible.” She giggled as she stared at the steaming tea.
Seth turned his attention to Dalen, “Dude, you are going to lose your girlfriend if you keep pulling crap like that on her.”
Joe's heart froze when the word girlfriend was mentioned. She waited to see Dalen's reaction as she wasn't certain how he felt.
However, Dalen looked slightly frozen for a moment too, before he responded. “She laughed. It was funny.” He turned his attention towards her, “It was, wasn't it?”
“It was a harmless prank.” She assured him before looking at Seth, “It was funny.”
Seth shook his head, “You two are weird. How did Riane take the news about Ivy coming because of you?”
“Not well. She isn't talking to me right now.” She swallowed when she thought of Julian. “Did she tell Julian?”
Both men shrugged their shoulders.
“He is too caught up on acting like he is actually her real fiancee to talk about anything else.” Seth told her before heading into the kitchen. “You got cocoa?”
“In the pantry!” Dalen yelled.
The door down the hallway opened and Julian stomped his way into the living room. He glared at Joe's presence before speaking. “She is fucking ignoring me. This shit will not stand.” He continued to look at Joe. “You! Call her!”
“She is mad at me. She won't answer.”
Julian pressed his lips together and turned his attention to Dalen. “Then you do it.”
Dalen frowned, “I think I have learned my lesson about letting people use my phone for evil. Let her have her time out with Bryce. What is the big deal?”
Julian returned the frown, before heading back down the hallway and up the stairs to a room he had allocated for himself.
The room that everyone including the staff called Julian's room was one of the smaller ones in the house. It had a bed, night stands, and an armoire but no closet and only one window that he had blacked out with plastic.
He didn't often use the room except for when he couldn't get peace and quiet at his own house, or when he didn't want to go home but he didn't want to hang around the guys anymore.
Laying on his stomach on the bed in the dark, he held up his cellphone screen to his face and sent a couple more texts to Riane.
“If you don't tell me. I'll just keep being annoying!” He texted and from that point on he just sent random smilie faces and words.
He chuckled to himself each time a text was sent as he imagined Riane looking annoyed each time she picked up her phone. Then a thought occurred that perhaps she had turned her phone off.
“Did you turn your phone off?” He asked and pressed his lips together in annoyance.
“No, but good idea.” She replied.
He laughed that she actually answered that question. “Stop being an asshole. Let me come eat with you guys.”
There was no response so he started sending his random texts again.
After several more moments of getting nothing from her, he started to admit defeat. He was going to have a very harsh conversation with his brother when he got home. He couldn't just think it was ok to take his friends with him whenever and where ever without saying something to him first. That was not about to become the norm.
He justified his belief by making up scenarios in his head where Adonia or Blake or both would see the two out and get wrong ideas. What if they thought that she was having an affair with Bryce? That wouldn't help their cause.
She needed to see that she could be seen in a nasty light, and it would be all Bryce's fault for not bringing him along.
Heck, he should pull a Joe. Find out where they were eating and send Adonia and Blake there to meet them. He had no idea how he would word it or how to convince them to go, but there had to be some story he could come up with.
The door behind him opened and allowed some light into the room. He turned onto his back to see who was intruding upon his scared space.
Joe stood in the doorway, “Have you seen Riane today? I am worried about her. I have spoken to her everyday of my life.”
Julian stood up from the bed and flipped the switch next to the door. “She is out with Bryce and they left before I saw her.”
She sighed. “But you have talked to her?”
“You know what is bullshit? A brother asking his brother's fiancee out without asking his brother to go along, or even giving any warning over it, right?”
Julian's question caught her off guard and she simply stared at him for a couple moments.
“Um, aren't you two fake engaged though?”
His frowned deepened, “Bryce doesn't know that, does he? He thinks that Riane and I are making a solid go of this, so he is the one that is wrong here.”
“I guess.” She was trying to process this conversation as it made little to no sense from what she understood of their relationship.
“Pretty boy thinks he can just do or take whatever he wants! He thinks there are no consequences to his actions!”
“Are you talking about you or Bryce now?” She was only half joking and starting to understand the jealousy that he was showing. She wondered if he understood it himself or if he was just as daft about his feelings as he appeared.
Julian glared at her. “If you aren't going to be helpful, just go!”
“Don't worry. Bryce is a gentleman. He won't do anything to Riane, nor would he betray his brother.” She said with a smile and in the back of her mind he wondered if she knew what he had done with Ivy.
That moment of comfort made him see what he was doing and realize how it could be seen. He knew he had to backtrack as quickly as possible before Joe got any ideas. He didn't want her putting nonsense into Riane's head.
“I don't want her to get off task.” He pointed his index finger at her. “If she and Bryce end up liking each other then everything we worked for is shit.”
“Everything you worked for is plotting behind the scenes and one date, if they do end up liking each other at least this madness will end. Riane will actually have a real boyfriend that likes her and isn't using her to get another woman.” Joe was telling the truth, but she was also playing a little game to see his reaction.
She could have softened the blow a little bit, but she knew Julian showed his true colors when someone was direct with him.
Julian opened his mouth to speak and then slowly closed it. “My brother shouldn't be trying to like my fiancee in that way. That is betrayal. He doesn't know that we aren't real. It would show me that he is not to be trusted.”
His response was rational enough, but the emotion he put behind it seemed odd.
Joe nodded her head, “Yes, you said that before. You are right, I suppose. Though, I find out that you are this passionate about it, instead of just mildly annoyed.”
Julian swallowed and fiery began to fill his eyes as he had could think of nothing to say that would justify his little obsession today. Not to her and certainly not to himself. “I don't like other people taking my friends from me, alright?”
“Riane has lots of friends, including you.” That was something she never thought she would say about her, neither the friends part about Riane or including Julian among them. “She has plenty of time and feelings to go around for everyone.”
Julian searched his mind for a reply, but came up short. He sneered at her, “Of course, some of those friends like to betray and humiliate her.”
Joe swallowed, “Excuse me?”
“Ivy.”
Joe was startled by the sudden attack on her own person, but she guessed this was how he decided to not only defend himself, but change the subject.
She took a deep breath. “I am very sorry about that. It was selfish of me and not anything a real friend should do. I didn't think it through and acted with emotion instead. Please accept my apology, Julian.”
He looked confused. He had expected her to justify her actions or to engage him in a petty argument. Apologies were usually only given in his house when his mother made him apologize to one of his brothers.
“Uh, it's alright.” He was emotional and mentally unprepared for accepting his apology and couldn't think of anything else to say to her.
Joe smiled, “Thank you.”
“You're welcome.”
His phone made a ding noise and he lifted his hand to look up at it. “Ha! Bryce, you idiot!” He began to move towards the door.
“What happened?”
He stopped in the doorway with a smile on his face. “My dumbass brother just checked in to a restaurant nearby.”
Joe watched him head down the hallway and shook her head. “No.” She said to herself. “He can't be... can he?”
Blake sat quietly in his apartment on the couch as he read a book on a tablet and waited for Adonia to arrive. He had never invited her over before, but thought that the topic he wished to discuss was best suited for a private location.
He had lit a cinnamon incense stick for fear of there being an odor, even though his home was immaculately maintained. He often thought of going into other people's homes and smelling the odors of the family, such as their natural smells and the foods they had cooked.
While the scents themselves were not bad, they were often strange and something no one seemed to note, but he feared that his own house would have a similar smell.
In truth, he was nervous. People were not allowed in his home and the discussion he was about to have with Adonia would be uncomfortable.
There was a light knock at the door which made him ask himself if she had not seen the doorbell.
Getting up, he tossed his tablet on the coffee table and made his way to the door.
Upon opening it, he found Adonia with a nervous smile on her lips as she quickly looked passed him and into the apartment.
“Come in.” He stepped aside for her to enter.
Adonia held her purse in front of her, and slowly entered as she looked around. “Thank you for inviting me.”
He shut the door behind her. “Did you have any trouble finding the place?”
“No, I've picked you up from here before. I was just never invited inside. It was just me waiting in the lobby with the doorman.”
“I told him to let you up when you arrived. Would you like something to drink? I have... water.” He thought for a moment. “Orange juice as well.”
“No, I am fine.”
“Then please sit.” He motioned towards the couch and followed behind her.
She took the seat in the middle which bothered him slightly as that was where he usually sat, but he said nothing and sat down beside her.
“This place is very different than I imagined it, but also very much how I did.” She said as she looked around. “How often do you have maids come? Everyday?”
“I do not employ maids. I clean it up as I go along and then one weekend a month I do a deep cleaning.” He had no idea why this was the topic at hand, but he was willing to chat about other topics for the time being.
“Wow, really?”
He nodded his head.
“That's impressive. My parents always made us clean after ourselves, plus chores around the ranch, but there were still people that came once a week to clean the whole place up.” There was some cheer in her voice from the excitement of actually being invited to a place that she knew Riane had only visited a handful of times.
She wondered if this could become something normal. Could she call and drop by? Could she have dinners here? She imagined bringing home take-out and the two of them sitting on the couch watching a tv show.
“What a tiny television!”
“I don't usually use it for anything but news and background noise from time to time.” Blake told her, “If I want to watch something, which is usually just documentaries, I watch them on my tablet.”
“You have told me before that you don't watch TV.” She chuckled, “No wonder you and Riane never have anything to chat about.” She meant it as a joke, but say the look of hurt in Blake's eyes. “I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be mean.”
He shook his head, “No, it's not that. We just got to the topic of Riane sooner than I wanted us to.”
Adonia's heart dropped. She knew it was strange to be invited over here, but thought that they were moving forward in their relationship. No this was another time that Blake was fretting over his friend and couldn't care at all about her.
“I don't think that Riane is happy with the Swithins, especially after seeing her being attacked by Julian's ex.”
She was trying desperately not to look angry or frustrated. “I thought they looked perfectly happy together.” She lied.
“I was thinking about asking her to end her engagement to him and move in here with me. Her father would be led to believe we were engaged until she finished college. Of course, it would have to be with your permission.” He had leaned forward while he was talking and folded his hands on top of his knees.
Adonia couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. “That sounds horribly unfair to me.”
“To you?”
“Yes, Blake. I would have to pretend for years that I am not really your girlfriend. We would have to hide that we are together, and then what?” She had raised her voice slightly.
“Adon...”
“You two end your engagement and we are suddenly together? It would make me look like I broke you two up. Like we were cheating together.”
He sighed, “I understand your concerns, but we can simply explain to people what we had done and why we did it. They will either understand or prove they aren't worth having in our lives.”
“And am I expected to not date anyone for the next three years? That I am just a pitiful girl that hangs on to her ex-boyfriend while he is living with his fiancee?”
“Of course not. We can go on dates in the next town and have vacations together where we take Riane, but have our own private times.”
Adonia swallowed her anger down hard, “Did you give any consideration to me at all, Blake, when you thought this up? Do you give any consideration to me at all?”
“Of course, I did and do.”
She scoffed, “All I ever hear from you is Riane this and Riane that. Maybe you should just get engaged and marry her so you don't drag people like me into your mess anymore.”
“That's not fair, Adonia.”
“Not fair? Not fair? Did you hear what you just asked me to do? I am your girlfriend not Riane. The reason you lost so many isn't Riane's fault, it's yours.”
“Hey, please calm down and think about what you are saying.” He told her in a calm tone.
Adonia stood up from the couch, “You treat her as if she is more important than your girlfriends, and you worry constantly about her. Where is the worry and concern for me? For our relationship? I mean it, Blake. You will never have a normal relationship acting like this, and if you do not plan on changing, I suggest you just give in to Riane's feelings and be with her.”
“You...”
“Whether you have romantic feelings for her or not.” She made her way towards the door and Blake stood up to follow behind her.
“Adonia, I did not mean to upset you. I apologize.” He was slightly shocked by her outburst as he had never seen her upset like this before.
She shook her head, “I have to reconsider our relationship right now. I will contact you when I am ready to speak to you again.”
He nodded his head and reached for the doorknob before opening it for her. It was not what she had wanted him to do. She wanted him to apologize again and beg her to stay. Her eyes swelled up with tears and she stormed out of the apartment.
Bryce had wanted to take her to a more al a carte type restaurant, but there had been long lines so he decided to take her to a small sandwich and soup place that he enjoyed.
It had servers and a small ice cream area that people could easily come into without disturbing the restaurant goers. The booths were red with light wood tables and dividers between each table.
“Oh, they have french onion here.” Riane said as she looked over the menu.
“Yeah, it's a little salty for my tastes.” Bryce was watching her since he knew what he was going to order already.
“I have never had a chicken Parmesan sandwich. I think I will try that.” Riane told him. “Since it has red sauce, maybe I'll get a cup of tomato soup.”
“That's my favorite here.” He told her with a smile as she put the menu down.
Their waitress must have been watching them like a hawk, because she came over and took their order immediately.
“Your phone stopped buzzing like crazy.” Bryce noted. “Julian has either given up or taken to another tactic. Knowing my brother, it is the latter.”
Riane had her phone on the table and picked it up to look at it. “Last text was him counting down from one hundred. He stopped at forty nine.” She chuckled as did Bryce.
“Thanks for coming out with me today. I hate shopping alone.”
“My pleasure.” She told him as she put the phone down.
They chatted for a short while before the food came which was rather quickly. Riane had been surprised but Bryce pointed out it was just soup and sandwiches.
Picking up her sandwich she bit into it, and Bryce watched to see if she liked it. Otherwise he would have given her his Reuben to try.
“Do you like it?”
She gave him a thumbs up with red sauce on her lip and a mouthful of sandwich.
“Got ya, bitch!” Julian said to his brother as he sat down in the booth beside Riane. He smiled at her. “Your boy toy here checked in to the restaurant on his phone.”
Bryce shook his head with a smirk on his face. “Damn it.” He wasn't going to tell his brother that he had done it on purpose, because he could tell that Julian had really wanted to be there with them or her as it were.
“When you take a man's fiancee out, isn't it proper to ask him to come along too?” Julian asked as he grabbed half of Riane's sandwich and took a big bite out of it.
“Hey!” She snapped.
“I ordered a chicken Caesar sandwich. You can have half of it when it gets here.” He retorted with a mouth full of food.
“If I wanted that I would have ordered it. This is mine, besides I hate Caesar, it has anchovies in it.”
Julian stared at her as he licked the entire top of her sandwich. “Want it back now?”
“You are revolting.”
Bryce chuckled at the way the two were acting. “Do you want to try my Reuben? I'll eat his half of the Caesar.”
Riane nodded, “Sure, I've never had it before.”
Picking up her glass of water, Julian drank from the straw as Riane stared at him in utter confusion as to what he was doing. They had shared food before but it was always cut in half and the other persons mouth never touched the other half. Never had they drank from the same glass.
“As I was saying, shouldn't you have invited me?” Julian asked as Riane snatched her glass of water away from him.
“I have asked you to come with me in the past; you showed no interest.” Bryce explained as he watched Riane turn to her soup. She turned in the booth slightly so that her back was facing Julian. “He hates tomato soup, you are safe, Riane.”
She straightened herself back up and put the bowl in front of her.
“Maybe I have changed my tastes!” Julian snapped and grabbed the spoon from her hand before shoveling a big spoonful in his mouth.
Bryce stared at him in humor and Riane watched in horror.
The look of disgust that came over Julian's face made Bryce burst out with laughter, as he watched his brother grab as many paper napkins as he could and spit the large mouthful into them.
“It tastes like a tomato's vomit.” Julian gagged.
“That appetizing.” Riane sighed.
The waitress came with Julian's food in that moment. He had ordered the french onion which caught Bryce's attention. The only reason Riane hadn't ordered it was because it wouldn't go well with the tomato sauce on her sandwich.
“Can I get a new spoon too?” Riane asked the waitress who hurried to grab her one.
“Why do you need a new spoon?” Julian asked in an offended tone.
She held up the one he had just used. “It has your spit all over it. If I won't eat a sandwich you licked, do you think I am going to put this in my mouth?”
Bryce continued to watch the two of them with a smile on his lips, as the waitress put the spoon down on the table.
“You know, Julian. Riane wanted to order the french onion, you should let her have a taste of yours.” He was purposely poking at the bear and he knew it.
“That's alright.” Riane sighed as she grabbed her new spoon.
Julian picked up his own and got a spoonful of his soup on it then held it out to her. “Say ah!” He said before blowing on it.
“I said no.”
“Eat it!”
Riane sighed and took the spoon from him before eating it. She handed him back his spoon, “Happy now?”
“Is it good?” He asked sincerely.
“Yes, thank you.” Riane looked over at Bryce with annoyance in his eyes.
“Hey, Riane.” Julian said to get her attention and then licked the spoon she had just used, before putting it entirely in his own mouth.
Her face told of her disgust as she shook her head. “You are really nasty, and why are you acting so childish right now?”
“He can't help it.” Bryce interrupted before Julian could answer. “He is around his big brother and that automatically turned him childish.”
Julian seemed to take offense and frowned at his brother. The words, however, seemed to immediately change his actions as was the intended results.
“You want to go see a movie?” Julian asked her. “We can go to a real movie theater or watch another one in my room.”
Riane noticed his immediate change and smirked at Bryce. “Maybe. I mean I have never been to a movie theater before, but I really need to finish up some school work. Tomorrow?”
“Yeah, fine.”
“You two are really getting along together.” Bryce was merely making a observation, and had no idea that his brother would react poorly to it.
“Yeah, why wouldn't we? We are friends. We talked like this before she moved in, you just weren't there to see it.”
“Ok.” He responded and put his hands in the air, while Riane rolled her eyes in annoyance at his childish behavior returning.
Of course, she was lonely. Not speaking with Joe made it difficult to go anywhere or have to a friend to be anywhere with, and it was not like she could contact Blake at this junction.
Bryce hadn't asked her to do anything with him since the party fiasco. He had been pleasant to her, but overall a little distant or so she concluded. She didn't really know if this was just his normal behavior or not.
Standing in an office supply store, Bryce was picking out school supplies for an art project he was working on. She hadn't asked any questions as she was more surprised that he was taking an art class than anything else.
After a couple moments of him talking about the differences in painting in water versus oil, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She picked it up when he started mumbling to himself about what colors he would be using.
It was a text from Julian. “Where the fuck are you? How did you escape with no car? Let's go to Dalen's house.”
She rolled her eyes with a smirk on her lips and replied. “Out with Bryce for art supplies then we are going to lunch.”
“Where are you? I'll come get you.” Was his immediate reply.
“That Julian?” Bryce asked when he noticed her holding her phone.
“Yeah, he wants to go over to hang out with the guys.” She informed him while trying her best not to lean on anything as her legs grew tired from all the standing and walking.
Bryce was not one to make decisions lightly it appeared.
He chuckled, “Well, tell him that you have already given me your afternoon. He'll have to wait his turn.”
“I already did. He wants to know where I am so he can come get me.” She put her phone back in her back pocket. “I guess I'll just ignore the question for now.”
He put some brushes into the hand held red basket he was carrying. “He is really into having you where ever he goes. I've never seen him act like this with anyone before.”
“Yeah.” She cleared her throat as the two walked down the isle of paint supplies. “Why don't you have a girlfriend?” She didn't mean to sound so blunt, and the question seemed to startle him briefly before he smirked.
He turned to look at her directly. “You know how guys can stand around and point out girls saying things about their bodies and what they would like to do to them?”
“Yeah.” Her phone vibrated once more.
“I've never felt that way about anyone. I can't just see someone and be sexually attracted to them. I have to get to know them. They have to be my friend first, then I will start seeing them differently.” He adjusted the basket on his arm.
“I see.”
He sighed, “Unfortunately, for a guy that means getting put in the friend zone a great deal or having girls get boyfriends before I realize my feelings.”
“That's interesting that you say that. I have always felt something in the same vein. Joe talks about how good looking a guy is and how she would love to sleep with him, but I can see that he is handsome I just don't feel that way towards him.”
He nodded, “I thought I was an abnormality for a long time, but it turns out there are a lot of people like us.”
The inclusion that he made her feel also produced a soft warmth in her chest. She cleared her throat, “I have never had a boyfriend so I do not have further information on how I would feel towards them.” There was another sound of a vibrating phone coming from her pocket.
Bryce slowly nodded his head, “You did like Blake though right?”
Suddenly, she did not like where this conversation was going. She was not going to admit in the middle of an office supplies store whether or not she had sexual feelings towards Blake.
In an attempt to fight the uneasiness, she cleared her throat and shifted from foot to foot before putting her hands behind her back.
Bryce laughed, “I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I thought we were having an open conversation about this, and obviously I took it somewhere you didn't want to go. I apologize.” With that, he turned back around and started shopping again.
“I didn't mean to shut the conversation down.” She told him as she walked beside him. “It is just that I don't like to talk about that with anyone, and the less others talk about it the more hopefully Blake can forget.”
“So you can be friends again?”
She nodded with a sigh. “We have been since middle school, and I feel he is uneasy around me now.”
“How are you feeling towards Julian?”
The question made her hold her breath for a moment, but the sound of her phone vibrating forced her to breath. “Um, nothing has changed in the last couple of months. Why?”
“I think Julian is feeling a little different. Check your phone.” He laughed to himself as he put his basket on the belt and began talking to the cashier.
“Hello? Where are you?”
“Are you ignoring me, dick?”
“Hey, asshat, I asked you where you are?”
Riane chuckled and replied, “Yes, I am ignoring you. I am hanging out with your brother this afternoon. Go play with the boys by yourself.”
“Don't call it playing it sounds fucked up! Where are you?”
She sighed, “It doesn't matter we are about to leave.”
“Did that boner take you to an arts and craft store?”
Riane shook her head as she laughed, “No, office supplies.”
“Ugh, so lame. I'll come get you.”
She looked up at Bryce who was taking his bag from the cashier and she began to walk out of the automatic doors. “He is trying to get me to tell him where I am.”
“Tell him that it is too late, we have already left and we are going for lunch. If he asks where tell him that I am not telling you, and I threatened to take your phone away if you tell him when we get there.” Bryce was only kidding, but that didn't seem to register with her.
She sent the message and they walked together to Bryce's black Jaguar. He opened the door for her and allowed her to climb inside before shutting the door for her as well.
When he climbed into the driver's seat, he looked over at her. “So, what do you feel like eating? I am down for anything.”
“Well, um. I've never really eaten out before, so why don't you pick?”
He seemed to think for a moment, “Let's go to an eclectic place so you can pick something different than?”
“Sure.”
“Don't tell Julian.” He jokingly threatened.
Riane put her phone in her pocket after reading Julian's last text message.
“Tell him to fuck off. Come on, it'll be fucking boring without you.”
---***---
Joe sat on the couch in Dalen's living room. He had made a fire before she came over, but he swore he made it before she called to invite herself over. She didn't know if she believed him or not, but she was too upset with herself to care.
That morning she had called Riane three times and she knew that she was purposefully sent to voice mail. She had sent a couple texts asking if they could talk, and they went without answer. She had never had Riane mad at her so much that she actually refused to speak to her. Riane was always willing to hear a person out in order to understand and eventually forgive. This new behavior was terrifying to her friend.
Dalen entered the room from the kitchen door and placed a cup of tea on the coffee table in front of her, before sitting down on the couch beside her. He was turned so that he was facing her, and reminded her more of a psychologist than her boyfriend.
Boyfriend? She didn't know if that was the right word. They had been seeing each other for a couple months now, but there had been no labels applied. Last time he introduced her to anyone he had called her a friend.
Of course, that could be that they were both too nervous to test the waters and find out anything that might make each other uncomfortable in their relationship.
Joe sighed, “You were right. I shouldn't have done that. I tried to explain but Riane just wanted me to leave.”
He nodded his head slowly, but didn't add anything else.
“Riane has never had other friends before, but she has also never given me the silent treatment. I am beginning to fear that now that I and Blake are no longer her only options that we are expendable.” She inhaled deeply.
“I doubt that.”
“I am such an idiot. I was caught up in my own desire to make sure that Julian didn't turn Riane into an ass like him that I forgot about actually being a friend.” She used both of her hands to rub her face in frustration.
Dalen sat quietly while she made a couple grunting noise.
“What? Are you not going to scold me?” Her voice went slightly high pitched.
“Seems like you are doing a good enough job as it is.” He watched her stare off into the distance for a moment. “Try the tea. It's candy cane flavored. Nice and minty, it'll help calm you.”
Joe didn't want to tell him that she wasn't a big warm beverage drinker, but instead she leaned forward and picked up the transparent glass cup. Holding it in her hands for a moment she was able to get some of the aroma before taking a small sip.
“That's strong.” She coughed slightly.
Dalen chuckled at her reaction.
“My whole mouth tastes of Christmas now.” She coughed a little more before setting the cup back down on the coffee table.
“I know, it's horrible.” He laughed.
“Then why did you give it to me?” She playfully smacked him on the shoulder.
“I am trying to find someone to take it off my hands. I feel bad throwing the whole thing away, because I bought six boxes.” He told her with a grin as he tried to block her blows.
“Six boxes? Why would you buy six of anything before testing it out first.”
He shrugged and tossed his hands into the air. “I like candy canes. I figured that I would like the tea version too.”
Joe laughed, “Did you try Seth?”
“Yes, he turned ten shades of red like he couldn't breath after tasting it. Julian flat out refused to drink tea, but I haven't tried Riane yet.”
She giggled, “Wait until this blows over, I want to see her reaction.”
He leaned forward and kissed her lips, “At least your breath is minty fresh now.”
“I brushed my teeth. It already was.” She shoved him away playfully. “I can't imagine who would like such an overbearing concoction.”
They both perked up when they heard the door open down the hall and in walked the man they expected to see.
Seth had a look of annoyance on his face as he entered the pink living room and tossed himself on the couch on the opposite side of the room from him.
“I knew I should have driven myself.” He mumbled.
“What?” Dalen asked.
He glared towards the doorway. “Julian convinced me to let him come get me, and all he did was complain about Riane being with his brother and not coming to hang out with us.”
Joe looked at Dalen, “Did you know he had plans of bringing her here?”
He shook his head, “If I did, I would have told you. I didn't even know that they were going to show up today. My house is rather open to all my friends whenever they want to come over. Hell, Seth comes over here to eat even when I am not home.”
“It's better when he isn't here.” Seth joked.
“Where is Julian?” Joe asked when she thought enough time had passed for him to park his car and walk to the door.
“He is trying to find out where Bryce took her for lunch, and she isn't answering him.” Seth chuckled, “Man, this is fucking weird, right?”
Dalen nodded in agreement and looked between his two friends. “Why does he care so much that she is hanging out with Bryce?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. When I told him he was acting like a jealous boyfriend, he told me to fuck off.” Standing up, Seth walked towards the kitchen and stopped to look at the tea on the table. “Did he trick you into trying that shit?”
“Yes, it is horrible.” She giggled as she stared at the steaming tea.
Seth turned his attention to Dalen, “Dude, you are going to lose your girlfriend if you keep pulling crap like that on her.”
Joe's heart froze when the word girlfriend was mentioned. She waited to see Dalen's reaction as she wasn't certain how he felt.
However, Dalen looked slightly frozen for a moment too, before he responded. “She laughed. It was funny.” He turned his attention towards her, “It was, wasn't it?”
“It was a harmless prank.” She assured him before looking at Seth, “It was funny.”
Seth shook his head, “You two are weird. How did Riane take the news about Ivy coming because of you?”
“Not well. She isn't talking to me right now.” She swallowed when she thought of Julian. “Did she tell Julian?”
Both men shrugged their shoulders.
“He is too caught up on acting like he is actually her real fiancee to talk about anything else.” Seth told her before heading into the kitchen. “You got cocoa?”
“In the pantry!” Dalen yelled.
The door down the hallway opened and Julian stomped his way into the living room. He glared at Joe's presence before speaking. “She is fucking ignoring me. This shit will not stand.” He continued to look at Joe. “You! Call her!”
“She is mad at me. She won't answer.”
Julian pressed his lips together and turned his attention to Dalen. “Then you do it.”
Dalen frowned, “I think I have learned my lesson about letting people use my phone for evil. Let her have her time out with Bryce. What is the big deal?”
Julian returned the frown, before heading back down the hallway and up the stairs to a room he had allocated for himself.
---***---
The room that everyone including the staff called Julian's room was one of the smaller ones in the house. It had a bed, night stands, and an armoire but no closet and only one window that he had blacked out with plastic.
He didn't often use the room except for when he couldn't get peace and quiet at his own house, or when he didn't want to go home but he didn't want to hang around the guys anymore.
Laying on his stomach on the bed in the dark, he held up his cellphone screen to his face and sent a couple more texts to Riane.
“If you don't tell me. I'll just keep being annoying!” He texted and from that point on he just sent random smilie faces and words.
He chuckled to himself each time a text was sent as he imagined Riane looking annoyed each time she picked up her phone. Then a thought occurred that perhaps she had turned her phone off.
“Did you turn your phone off?” He asked and pressed his lips together in annoyance.
“No, but good idea.” She replied.
He laughed that she actually answered that question. “Stop being an asshole. Let me come eat with you guys.”
There was no response so he started sending his random texts again.
After several more moments of getting nothing from her, he started to admit defeat. He was going to have a very harsh conversation with his brother when he got home. He couldn't just think it was ok to take his friends with him whenever and where ever without saying something to him first. That was not about to become the norm.
He justified his belief by making up scenarios in his head where Adonia or Blake or both would see the two out and get wrong ideas. What if they thought that she was having an affair with Bryce? That wouldn't help their cause.
She needed to see that she could be seen in a nasty light, and it would be all Bryce's fault for not bringing him along.
Heck, he should pull a Joe. Find out where they were eating and send Adonia and Blake there to meet them. He had no idea how he would word it or how to convince them to go, but there had to be some story he could come up with.
The door behind him opened and allowed some light into the room. He turned onto his back to see who was intruding upon his scared space.
Joe stood in the doorway, “Have you seen Riane today? I am worried about her. I have spoken to her everyday of my life.”
Julian stood up from the bed and flipped the switch next to the door. “She is out with Bryce and they left before I saw her.”
She sighed. “But you have talked to her?”
“You know what is bullshit? A brother asking his brother's fiancee out without asking his brother to go along, or even giving any warning over it, right?”
Julian's question caught her off guard and she simply stared at him for a couple moments.
“Um, aren't you two fake engaged though?”
His frowned deepened, “Bryce doesn't know that, does he? He thinks that Riane and I are making a solid go of this, so he is the one that is wrong here.”
“I guess.” She was trying to process this conversation as it made little to no sense from what she understood of their relationship.
“Pretty boy thinks he can just do or take whatever he wants! He thinks there are no consequences to his actions!”
“Are you talking about you or Bryce now?” She was only half joking and starting to understand the jealousy that he was showing. She wondered if he understood it himself or if he was just as daft about his feelings as he appeared.
Julian glared at her. “If you aren't going to be helpful, just go!”
“Don't worry. Bryce is a gentleman. He won't do anything to Riane, nor would he betray his brother.” She said with a smile and in the back of her mind he wondered if she knew what he had done with Ivy.
That moment of comfort made him see what he was doing and realize how it could be seen. He knew he had to backtrack as quickly as possible before Joe got any ideas. He didn't want her putting nonsense into Riane's head.
“I don't want her to get off task.” He pointed his index finger at her. “If she and Bryce end up liking each other then everything we worked for is shit.”
“Everything you worked for is plotting behind the scenes and one date, if they do end up liking each other at least this madness will end. Riane will actually have a real boyfriend that likes her and isn't using her to get another woman.” Joe was telling the truth, but she was also playing a little game to see his reaction.
She could have softened the blow a little bit, but she knew Julian showed his true colors when someone was direct with him.
Julian opened his mouth to speak and then slowly closed it. “My brother shouldn't be trying to like my fiancee in that way. That is betrayal. He doesn't know that we aren't real. It would show me that he is not to be trusted.”
His response was rational enough, but the emotion he put behind it seemed odd.
Joe nodded her head, “Yes, you said that before. You are right, I suppose. Though, I find out that you are this passionate about it, instead of just mildly annoyed.”
Julian swallowed and fiery began to fill his eyes as he had could think of nothing to say that would justify his little obsession today. Not to her and certainly not to himself. “I don't like other people taking my friends from me, alright?”
“Riane has lots of friends, including you.” That was something she never thought she would say about her, neither the friends part about Riane or including Julian among them. “She has plenty of time and feelings to go around for everyone.”
Julian searched his mind for a reply, but came up short. He sneered at her, “Of course, some of those friends like to betray and humiliate her.”
Joe swallowed, “Excuse me?”
“Ivy.”
Joe was startled by the sudden attack on her own person, but she guessed this was how he decided to not only defend himself, but change the subject.
She took a deep breath. “I am very sorry about that. It was selfish of me and not anything a real friend should do. I didn't think it through and acted with emotion instead. Please accept my apology, Julian.”
He looked confused. He had expected her to justify her actions or to engage him in a petty argument. Apologies were usually only given in his house when his mother made him apologize to one of his brothers.
“Uh, it's alright.” He was emotional and mentally unprepared for accepting his apology and couldn't think of anything else to say to her.
Joe smiled, “Thank you.”
“You're welcome.”
His phone made a ding noise and he lifted his hand to look up at it. “Ha! Bryce, you idiot!” He began to move towards the door.
“What happened?”
He stopped in the doorway with a smile on his face. “My dumbass brother just checked in to a restaurant nearby.”
Joe watched him head down the hallway and shook her head. “No.” She said to herself. “He can't be... can he?”
---***---
Blake sat quietly in his apartment on the couch as he read a book on a tablet and waited for Adonia to arrive. He had never invited her over before, but thought that the topic he wished to discuss was best suited for a private location.
He had lit a cinnamon incense stick for fear of there being an odor, even though his home was immaculately maintained. He often thought of going into other people's homes and smelling the odors of the family, such as their natural smells and the foods they had cooked.
While the scents themselves were not bad, they were often strange and something no one seemed to note, but he feared that his own house would have a similar smell.
In truth, he was nervous. People were not allowed in his home and the discussion he was about to have with Adonia would be uncomfortable.
There was a light knock at the door which made him ask himself if she had not seen the doorbell.
Getting up, he tossed his tablet on the coffee table and made his way to the door.
Upon opening it, he found Adonia with a nervous smile on her lips as she quickly looked passed him and into the apartment.
“Come in.” He stepped aside for her to enter.
Adonia held her purse in front of her, and slowly entered as she looked around. “Thank you for inviting me.”
He shut the door behind her. “Did you have any trouble finding the place?”
“No, I've picked you up from here before. I was just never invited inside. It was just me waiting in the lobby with the doorman.”
“I told him to let you up when you arrived. Would you like something to drink? I have... water.” He thought for a moment. “Orange juice as well.”
“No, I am fine.”
“Then please sit.” He motioned towards the couch and followed behind her.
She took the seat in the middle which bothered him slightly as that was where he usually sat, but he said nothing and sat down beside her.
“This place is very different than I imagined it, but also very much how I did.” She said as she looked around. “How often do you have maids come? Everyday?”
“I do not employ maids. I clean it up as I go along and then one weekend a month I do a deep cleaning.” He had no idea why this was the topic at hand, but he was willing to chat about other topics for the time being.
“Wow, really?”
He nodded his head.
“That's impressive. My parents always made us clean after ourselves, plus chores around the ranch, but there were still people that came once a week to clean the whole place up.” There was some cheer in her voice from the excitement of actually being invited to a place that she knew Riane had only visited a handful of times.
She wondered if this could become something normal. Could she call and drop by? Could she have dinners here? She imagined bringing home take-out and the two of them sitting on the couch watching a tv show.
“What a tiny television!”
“I don't usually use it for anything but news and background noise from time to time.” Blake told her, “If I want to watch something, which is usually just documentaries, I watch them on my tablet.”
“You have told me before that you don't watch TV.” She chuckled, “No wonder you and Riane never have anything to chat about.” She meant it as a joke, but say the look of hurt in Blake's eyes. “I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be mean.”
He shook his head, “No, it's not that. We just got to the topic of Riane sooner than I wanted us to.”
Adonia's heart dropped. She knew it was strange to be invited over here, but thought that they were moving forward in their relationship. No this was another time that Blake was fretting over his friend and couldn't care at all about her.
“I don't think that Riane is happy with the Swithins, especially after seeing her being attacked by Julian's ex.”
She was trying desperately not to look angry or frustrated. “I thought they looked perfectly happy together.” She lied.
“I was thinking about asking her to end her engagement to him and move in here with me. Her father would be led to believe we were engaged until she finished college. Of course, it would have to be with your permission.” He had leaned forward while he was talking and folded his hands on top of his knees.
Adonia couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. “That sounds horribly unfair to me.”
“To you?”
“Yes, Blake. I would have to pretend for years that I am not really your girlfriend. We would have to hide that we are together, and then what?” She had raised her voice slightly.
“Adon...”
“You two end your engagement and we are suddenly together? It would make me look like I broke you two up. Like we were cheating together.”
He sighed, “I understand your concerns, but we can simply explain to people what we had done and why we did it. They will either understand or prove they aren't worth having in our lives.”
“And am I expected to not date anyone for the next three years? That I am just a pitiful girl that hangs on to her ex-boyfriend while he is living with his fiancee?”
“Of course not. We can go on dates in the next town and have vacations together where we take Riane, but have our own private times.”
Adonia swallowed her anger down hard, “Did you give any consideration to me at all, Blake, when you thought this up? Do you give any consideration to me at all?”
“Of course, I did and do.”
She scoffed, “All I ever hear from you is Riane this and Riane that. Maybe you should just get engaged and marry her so you don't drag people like me into your mess anymore.”
“That's not fair, Adonia.”
“Not fair? Not fair? Did you hear what you just asked me to do? I am your girlfriend not Riane. The reason you lost so many isn't Riane's fault, it's yours.”
“Hey, please calm down and think about what you are saying.” He told her in a calm tone.
Adonia stood up from the couch, “You treat her as if she is more important than your girlfriends, and you worry constantly about her. Where is the worry and concern for me? For our relationship? I mean it, Blake. You will never have a normal relationship acting like this, and if you do not plan on changing, I suggest you just give in to Riane's feelings and be with her.”
“You...”
“Whether you have romantic feelings for her or not.” She made her way towards the door and Blake stood up to follow behind her.
“Adonia, I did not mean to upset you. I apologize.” He was slightly shocked by her outburst as he had never seen her upset like this before.
She shook her head, “I have to reconsider our relationship right now. I will contact you when I am ready to speak to you again.”
He nodded his head and reached for the doorknob before opening it for her. It was not what she had wanted him to do. She wanted him to apologize again and beg her to stay. Her eyes swelled up with tears and she stormed out of the apartment.
---***---
Bryce had wanted to take her to a more al a carte type restaurant, but there had been long lines so he decided to take her to a small sandwich and soup place that he enjoyed.
It had servers and a small ice cream area that people could easily come into without disturbing the restaurant goers. The booths were red with light wood tables and dividers between each table.
“Oh, they have french onion here.” Riane said as she looked over the menu.
“Yeah, it's a little salty for my tastes.” Bryce was watching her since he knew what he was going to order already.
“I have never had a chicken Parmesan sandwich. I think I will try that.” Riane told him. “Since it has red sauce, maybe I'll get a cup of tomato soup.”
“That's my favorite here.” He told her with a smile as she put the menu down.
Their waitress must have been watching them like a hawk, because she came over and took their order immediately.
“Your phone stopped buzzing like crazy.” Bryce noted. “Julian has either given up or taken to another tactic. Knowing my brother, it is the latter.”
Riane had her phone on the table and picked it up to look at it. “Last text was him counting down from one hundred. He stopped at forty nine.” She chuckled as did Bryce.
“Thanks for coming out with me today. I hate shopping alone.”
“My pleasure.” She told him as she put the phone down.
They chatted for a short while before the food came which was rather quickly. Riane had been surprised but Bryce pointed out it was just soup and sandwiches.
Picking up her sandwich she bit into it, and Bryce watched to see if she liked it. Otherwise he would have given her his Reuben to try.
“Do you like it?”
She gave him a thumbs up with red sauce on her lip and a mouthful of sandwich.
“Got ya, bitch!” Julian said to his brother as he sat down in the booth beside Riane. He smiled at her. “Your boy toy here checked in to the restaurant on his phone.”
Bryce shook his head with a smirk on his face. “Damn it.” He wasn't going to tell his brother that he had done it on purpose, because he could tell that Julian had really wanted to be there with them or her as it were.
“When you take a man's fiancee out, isn't it proper to ask him to come along too?” Julian asked as he grabbed half of Riane's sandwich and took a big bite out of it.
“Hey!” She snapped.
“I ordered a chicken Caesar sandwich. You can have half of it when it gets here.” He retorted with a mouth full of food.
“If I wanted that I would have ordered it. This is mine, besides I hate Caesar, it has anchovies in it.”
Julian stared at her as he licked the entire top of her sandwich. “Want it back now?”
“You are revolting.”
Bryce chuckled at the way the two were acting. “Do you want to try my Reuben? I'll eat his half of the Caesar.”
Riane nodded, “Sure, I've never had it before.”
Picking up her glass of water, Julian drank from the straw as Riane stared at him in utter confusion as to what he was doing. They had shared food before but it was always cut in half and the other persons mouth never touched the other half. Never had they drank from the same glass.
“As I was saying, shouldn't you have invited me?” Julian asked as Riane snatched her glass of water away from him.
“I have asked you to come with me in the past; you showed no interest.” Bryce explained as he watched Riane turn to her soup. She turned in the booth slightly so that her back was facing Julian. “He hates tomato soup, you are safe, Riane.”
She straightened herself back up and put the bowl in front of her.
“Maybe I have changed my tastes!” Julian snapped and grabbed the spoon from her hand before shoveling a big spoonful in his mouth.
Bryce stared at him in humor and Riane watched in horror.
The look of disgust that came over Julian's face made Bryce burst out with laughter, as he watched his brother grab as many paper napkins as he could and spit the large mouthful into them.
“It tastes like a tomato's vomit.” Julian gagged.
“That appetizing.” Riane sighed.
The waitress came with Julian's food in that moment. He had ordered the french onion which caught Bryce's attention. The only reason Riane hadn't ordered it was because it wouldn't go well with the tomato sauce on her sandwich.
“Can I get a new spoon too?” Riane asked the waitress who hurried to grab her one.
“Why do you need a new spoon?” Julian asked in an offended tone.
She held up the one he had just used. “It has your spit all over it. If I won't eat a sandwich you licked, do you think I am going to put this in my mouth?”
Bryce continued to watch the two of them with a smile on his lips, as the waitress put the spoon down on the table.
“You know, Julian. Riane wanted to order the french onion, you should let her have a taste of yours.” He was purposely poking at the bear and he knew it.
“That's alright.” Riane sighed as she grabbed her new spoon.
Julian picked up his own and got a spoonful of his soup on it then held it out to her. “Say ah!” He said before blowing on it.
“I said no.”
“Eat it!”
Riane sighed and took the spoon from him before eating it. She handed him back his spoon, “Happy now?”
“Is it good?” He asked sincerely.
“Yes, thank you.” Riane looked over at Bryce with annoyance in his eyes.
“Hey, Riane.” Julian said to get her attention and then licked the spoon she had just used, before putting it entirely in his own mouth.
Her face told of her disgust as she shook her head. “You are really nasty, and why are you acting so childish right now?”
“He can't help it.” Bryce interrupted before Julian could answer. “He is around his big brother and that automatically turned him childish.”
Julian seemed to take offense and frowned at his brother. The words, however, seemed to immediately change his actions as was the intended results.
“You want to go see a movie?” Julian asked her. “We can go to a real movie theater or watch another one in my room.”
Riane noticed his immediate change and smirked at Bryce. “Maybe. I mean I have never been to a movie theater before, but I really need to finish up some school work. Tomorrow?”
“Yeah, fine.”
“You two are really getting along together.” Bryce was merely making a observation, and had no idea that his brother would react poorly to it.
“Yeah, why wouldn't we? We are friends. We talked like this before she moved in, you just weren't there to see it.”
“Ok.” He responded and put his hands in the air, while Riane rolled her eyes in annoyance at his childish behavior returning.