26: In A Mood

Bryce

      "Trust me, Erin. She can handle it if he pushes it too far." I try to reassure her about Jesse and Marie.

        "Why did you do that? Now you've made it obvious to everyone you're trying to set them up," she complains.

         I shrug. "So what if I am?"
         A few customers walk up to Jones and me. They just want basic drinks to go. How boring.

         Suddenly, Jesse is on the floor, curled up into a ball. What the...? I guess he went too far, I think as I try to figure out how I feel about the scene in front of me. On the one hand, I want to laugh, but that would be mean to Jesse, even if I am pissed at him. On the other, she just knocked down my best friend. She looks up and over at me as I scowl at her. I look down at Erin when I hear her letting out little bursts of air as she laughs silently. I decide to let Erin have her vicarious victory through Marie. No doubt he deserved it anyway.

       How many times have I told him that doesn't work on all of them? He's lucky they fall for the whole 'adorable idiot' act as often as they do, I think as I walk over to at least be nearby in case either of them try anything else violent. Marie looks like she's satisfied with the results and Jesse looks incapacitated. I doubt the fight picks back up.
        Ginger comes over and talks with Marie before Desmond interrupts her. Then he and Ginger argue -- like always, and walk off. Marie goes to have a seat at the bar since the place is empty again.

        I stand here and contemplate what to do next. Jesse deserves to get punched in the face. Hell, he'd do the same thing to me.
         "Get up, Jesse," I lightly order. He slowly stands up like he's getting ready to pay the piper.
         Then he actually looks me in the face and sees how pissed I really am. I remember last Sunday when Erin told me he'd kissed her after she'd told him we were dating.
          "Shit," Jesse says quietly.

        I decide to just keep it simple and just punch him once. After all, he did sincerely apologize. Still, I can't let this slide totally. He lands on the floor with a thud, probably wishing he'd not gotten up in the first place. Erin turns around and gasps when she sees what happened. I ignore her for the moment. I can hear Ginger screaming at Desmond a little ways away.

        Lynne was apparently on her way up the stairs. I hadn't noticed.
       "Oh my god, Bryce! What gets into you two?" She runs over to Jesse. His lip is bleeding.

         Jesse rolls his head in Lynne's direction with a small moan, but he's really looking at Marie. I don't really care to see the new girl's reaction. She may as well get used to scenes like this one if she's going to work in a bar, not that it happens all the time.
         "Get up, you pussy," I taunt him.
         "Bryce!" Erin gasps out. She doesn't get it obviously. Honestly, the punch was a lot weaker than it could've been.
         "Are we even now?" Jesse asks me.
         "Almost, but I don't want you laying down for the next thing." I actually step over and offer him a hand up. Lynne looks up at me with this severely annoyed expression. I raise my eyebrows up, daring her to say something. Oh good. Here's Troy. He'll distract her from the 'mother lecture' that she looks like she's ready to give.

       "What else are you wanting out of me?" he complains as I help him up.
       "You're going to apologize to Erin," I say.
       "What," I hear Erin say flatly. She doesn't sound too happy. I'd worried that this part would be hard for her, but I don't want things to stay weird between my best friend and my girlfriend.

        Erin looks extremely uncomfortable. I'll apologize later. In fact... Wait a minute. Is he looking at her rack? Does he want me to hit him again?
        And look who decided to show up. Bernadette. She has a lot of nerve showing up here, I think as I watch her wave at Jesse and stand to watch what's going on with a curious air. I don't have the energy to tell her to piss off.

       "I was going to do this anyway," Jesse starts talking to her - finally looking at her face. "But apparently Bryce demands that I do it now." Prick. "I know you're uncomfortable around me, so I'll just keep it quick. I'm really sorry, Erin. I wasn't thinking clearly, and I crossed the line."
       Erin mumbles some kind of acceptance, glares at me (uh oh), and takes a step back when Bernadette practically pushes her out of the way. I start to calm down. I hate that I put Erin through that. I really do. I'll have to pay for that later. Damn. Tonight of all nights too! My mood really improves when I consider what night it is. She'll forgive me quick enough, surely she'll understand where I'm coming from.
        I feel Simon come up behind me and hit me lightly on the shoulder as a greeting. I can tell from reading his expression that he's curious about what's going on. Then, Bernadette surprises everyone...

        ...especially Jesse when she pulls flowers out of nowhere and tries to give them to him. Alright, now it's official. That woman is mental.
        Erin actually smiles. At least there's hope for her mood, and if that mental woman's actions make her happier, then I'm happy about it. Jesse doesn't act too thrilled. I nudge Simon with my elbow and laugh silently. He just looks at Bernadette with a concerned expression.
        "I said no thank you," Jesse reiterates. Her head droops as she mutters some response, and the flowers disappear from wherever it was they came. I had no idea she had a thing for Jesse. Maybe if she wasn't such a bitch...
        Jesse watches her walk away with a confused expression on his face before he turns back to me to ask, "Are we good now?"
      "Yeah, I guess," I answer him. Then he gets this look on his face like he's about to crack up laughing.

        Simon shakes his head in confusion and heads over to the bar as Jesse walks up to me.
        "What the hell was that?" he laughs as he gets it out. My best friend is back.
        I can't help but laugh a little myself as I say, "I have no idea. Did you?"
        He shakes his head no. "Not a clue. I mean, she's cute and all... until you get to know her." We both laugh, and I almost feel sorry for Bernadette. Almost.

        The sun sets, and Erin hasn't spoken to me since I made Jesse apologize. I can see her through the crowd standing over there talking to Pam about who knows what. I go and have a seat next to Bernadette while Belinda acts like she's not listening.
       "What the hell are you doing here, Bernadette?" I ask.
       "You said the whole island was invited," she points out.
       "Yeah, but I didn't think you'd show your face so soon after being fired."
        She slams her hand down on the table to throw her head around and glare at me as she says, "Damn it, if I want to be here, why is it any of your damn business?"
      "All right, so it's not," I say and get up. I was just curious. Honestly, I don't care that much, certainly not enough to argue over it. I walk over and pull Erin out to the middle of the floor, intending to dance with her and get her to talk to me.

Erin

       I'm mad at him. He did not need to punch Jesse like that, not unless his goal was to make me stop disliking Jesse and instead feel bad for him. I can't help but feel some of it is my fault.
       "Talk to me," he requests once he's pulled me away from the spot I decided to hide in once Pam went to go dance with Simon. I'm happy they still go out even though they have a toddler. I'm also surprised that Adele is here at the bar tonight, but I guess she has to since all of her caretakers are here.
        "Please talk to me," he interrupts my meandering thoughts. He's looking at me like that again, and he's pulled me real close. I glance up at him for a split second before going back to staring at my hand. That intense look is back in his eyes, and I feel like I need to go sit down. He brings the hand that's not around my waist up to tuck some of my hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering a little too long on the outside of my ear.
       "Tell me exactly what's bothering you or I'm going to nibble on your ear right here in front of everybody. I'm sure they'll be very entertained," he threatens quietly.
        I gasp a little and look up at his smiling eyes. Now I don't know what to say.
        "Well, that at least got you looking at me." He sighs and continues, "You're mad at me about how I handled the Jesse thing, aren't you?"
       I nod quietly and go back to looking at my hand.
       "Look, I'm sorry that I made you talk to him like that, but honestly, if I'd let that drag out then things would've gotten steadily weirder. I had to stop that from happening."
        "That did make me very uncomfortable..." My voice trails out.
        "But?"
         I look up at him accusingly. He looks back at me and swallows before I ask, "Did you have to hit him?"
         "Yes," he answers without pause.

       Since I'm quiet for a few seconds, he continues, "I guess I don't expect you to understand, but yes. I had to hit him." After I scowl at him, he lets out in a huff. "It's a guy thing."
         "To punch your best friend."
         "When my best friend kisses my girlfriend, yes. But we're good now, so all that's over," he answers my statement and takes my hand off his chest to a more standard dance position as we sway on the spot.
          As our bodies lightly brush up against the other, I can feel his changing mood.
          "Erin, don't be mad at me," he pleads.
          "I'm not mad. Not really. Not anymore. I'm confused as hell. How did you forgive him so fast?"
         "You don't think I should've?" he asks. Then that slow smile spreads across his face as he further asks, "You think I should still be mad at him so the two of us can fight over you some more?"
            "What?!" Okay, now I'm mad. I take a deep breath so I can really lay into him.

         However, I'm stopped from doing that when he all of a sudden kisses me. I try to lean away, but he just follows me like his lips are glued to mine. I hit him on the back of his shoulders. I do not want to kiss this publicly! That's all I need is someone to pull out their cellphone and take a picture for all the world to see once it's uploaded. ... Then Sean could find it... find me.

         Panic fills me, and I successfully jerk out of his grasp. I have a really bad feeling all of a sudden.
         He reaches out to grab my hands as he asks, "Hey, what is it?"
         I can't tell him. "Nothing," I say.
         "Please don't give me the 'nothing' answer," he huffs. "It's obviously something. Look, I'm sorry I had to punch him. It's just the way he and I work!"
          He sounds like he's about to really go into a long explanation, so I interrupt him, "It's not that."

       He looks at me like he's trying to figure me out as he says, "Because I kissed you right here in front of everybody?" He waits, and when I don't deny it, he says, "I was kidding about the whole 'fighting over you' thing, and you looked like you were about to get really mad. So, I stopped that like that."
       Again, he tells me probably exactly what he's thinking, or at least close to it. How does he do that?
         "There's something else, though, isn't there?" he asks with that same look. Then he starts pulling me off to the other seating area... where we went last week. It's only been a week?! I follow him, my knees locking a little with every step. The last time we took this walk he wound up kissing me. Well, that wouldn't be bad, but what if he has something else up his sleeve? Obviously, he has no problem kissing me in front of everybody now. Maybe he's pulling me down here for my comfort level. That's gotta be it.
         I walk ahead of him a little, just like last time, and go lean back against the fence, staring at my feet. The spot I choose this time is much darker than last week. I prefer it that way.

        He walks up to me and takes my chin in his hand as he asks, "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"
         "It was the kissing in front of everybody thing," I answer. That feeling is probably nothing.
         "You're doing it again. Please? You can tell me anything."
         "It's nothing. Just a weird feeling. That's all," I tell him and look him in the eye to let him know that that really is all there is.

           He takes a breath in such a manner that I think he believes me. "I'm sorry. I guess that was more than you can handle. I forgot that you're a little shy."
          "What?!" I snap. "I'm not shy! I might be a little timid sometimes, but don't call me shy!" I quietly yell at him.
          We hear a little, high-pitched squeal coming from somewhere behind me a little ways away. Bryce lifts his face up, looks behind me, squints a little, and mumbles, "About damn time."
            "What is it?" I ask and start turning my head to see.

       He gets a firmer hold of my chin to stop me from looking and kisses me. I let out an aggravated noise. He pulls back for a second to whisper, "It's Desmond and Ginger. Shh." My eyes widen with that knowledge as he goes back to kissing me.
       Whoa. I thought they hated each other. I guess I didn't give it much thought since Desmond is such an ass. Bryce's arms tighten around me as he starts really kissing me, and I forget all about whoever it is that's doing God knows what behind me.
       His hand moves down to my butt, and he presses me against him as he starts kneading with his hand and slowly, suggestively, moving against me. He's really turned on.

       He pulls back to thankfully let me breathe and asks, "My beautiful Erin, do you know what tonight is?"
       "Friday night."
       "Exactly. And last Friday, a week ago, I kissed you for the first time."
       "Yes, and then I freaked out and ran away." And wow, I've really come a long way.
       "The point I'm trying to make is that it's been a week."
       What?! "No it hasn't," I say a little breathlessly.
       "What?! Yes it has," he argues, and he sounds deflated.
       "We weren't a couple until Saturday," I try to explain. Believe me, I've been thinking all day that it's tomorrow.
        He snorts, "You were counting from then? That's not how I thought of it."
        "Huh? Then how did you think of it?"
      "You wanted to make sure you weren't a 'flavor of the week,' so I started counting from when everything got started. 'Things' ...didn't always happen the first night with... them."
        Oh holy shit, he started his count from last Friday, meaning it has been a week. I start panicking. "Bryce... that's not how I thought of it. I..." Damn it if his way of thinking about it makes more sense. I guess I should be happy that he doesn't count from when he first started to chase me. Or, maybe that's the conclusion he came to... that last Friday's party, before I ran away, was when he really started to chase me.  "Saturday," I say in an annoyingly-meek voice. I'm going to be a nervous wreck tomorrow. Why did I plan it?
         "Saturday," he states his question.
         I nod, unable to find wherever it was my voice went. My eyes glance up at him to gauge his mood from his face. He looks... calculating. What are you up to, Bryce? "Are you mad at me?" I ask, still in that annoyingly-meek voice. Tomorrow is soon enough as it is.
          He jerks his head back like what I asked surprised him. "No. Why would I be mad at you? I'm not mad. I love you, and if that means waiting until tomorrow, then I wait until tomorrow."

      I suddenly stand up on my toes and kiss him passionately. I hadn't expected that out of him. I'd thought he'd try to convince me to change my mind. After a few seconds, he hungrily kisses me back.

       Of course, that doesn't change his mood, but I don't worry about that. He's not pressuring me. I love him.