56: Pandora's Box

Bryce

     "Stay," I demand and prevent a negative answer by making sure her mouth is otherwise busy. She makes some annoyed whine since I won't let her talk.

     Erin has been staying at her house more often than not lately, and it's driving me crazy. She'd stayed at the bar with me tonight while I worked. Then, after a strange phone call from Jesse, she tells me she wants to sleep at her place again tonight. She's slept at her house the past three nights! I got spoiled, I guess, when the bastard was on the island and she stayed at my place the whole time.
     Sean. She told me she emailed him and that was the way that she finally got closure. I hate that she contacted him again after all that we went through, and I worry that she's continuing to contact him all these nights she's not with me. I don't want to outright ask her, but I can't help but worry.
     She jerks back from me and says, "Bryce, you'll see me tomorrow."
     Yeah, tomorrow. Tomorrow was supposed to be Marie's other day off, but she's apparently gone and sprained her knee... and Jesse was involved ...somehow. I have to train Erin tomorrow.
     I hope Jesse knows what he's doing this time. Ever since the party he threw last Wednesday, it was a little awkward around Marie since I knew my best friend was mooning over her. Maybe things are looking up for them... except for her sprained knee.
      My hand slips down over Erin's delectable derriere, and I pull her against me, offering a promise should she come back inside with me tonight.
      "I'll see you tomorrow if you sleep here as well," I offer.
      "Get your hand off my behind," she mildly scolds me.
       I laugh and ask, "Why? I like my hand where it is. You have a fantastic behind."
       "I'll stay over tomorrow night," she counteroffers.
       "Okay. Good. And tonight too," I reply stubbornly. 
       "Bryce..." she whines.
       "Why don't you want to sleep here anymore?"
       "I just said I'm spending the night tomorrow."
       "But why not tonight too?"
       She shakes her head no. "Me staying here should be the exception, not the rule."
       "See, now that's where I disagree."

      "I miss you when you're not here," I explain for the umpteenth time. "Please stay." Damn it, Erin! I'm dying here! I work on massaging her ass.
      She groans and asks, "Why are you doing this to me?"
      "Because I can," I answer simply. "Because I love you, and I don't want you to leave." I'm about ready to throw her over my shoulder and carry her, kicking and screaming maybe, back into the house.
      "I told you. We need to slow down a little," she brings up her trump card.
      "Who says it has to be this way?" I ask. I've thought about that little 'discussion' we had when I sat, stunned, during her well-prepared speech about how we're moving too fast for her and for me not to take it personally yada yada yada, and I've decided that since she says she's over Sean then why can't we go whatever 'speed' we want?
      "Me," she answers.
      "You said you're over him. That's what was holding you back before, right?"
      "And I'd hoped to ease into this. I love you. My head is spinning though."
      "Looks to be screwed on just right to me," I say, hoping to lighten the mood a little with a very bad joke. She lets out a half giggle/half groan while I reach up and hold both sides of her face to check and make sure her head isn't spinning.
      I sigh. "All right. Can't blame me for trying. Tomorrow?"
      "Yes."

     I love kissing her, and I try to get as much out of this one as I possibly can since I'm 'looking forward' to another lonely night.

       "Don't forget," I remind her. "Swimsuit." We're going to the beach tomorrow with my sister's family... to one of the smaller parks to roast marshmallows and hotdogs and stuff. Then, Pam is going to keep Adele for us since Erin is... working... with me tomorrow.
        What was I thinking?!
        "I'll remember. Then it's off to learn the ropes!" she says happily.
        I'm scared to death Erin will make a terrible waitress. She's too shy, not to mention it feels wrong to have her working for me. I know other people work for/with their significant others all over the place, but I know myself and my limitations. Agreeing to this was a stupid move. Hopefully, Marie won't take long to get better. I'd rather have her working on crutches... or on a barstool learning to make drinks. Hm... "Yeah," I say, nonplussed still and scheming about how to convince Erin to get this crazy idea out of her head. She looks too happy about it.
      I grudgingly tell her goodnight and kiss her one more time before she gets on her Barbie-pink scooter for her short trip 'home.'

     I check on Adele before I head off to my room.
     How pathetic can I get? How did I becoming the clingy type? I used to find this incredibly annoying. I annoy myself now.
      It used to be that if I felt even an inkling of feeling for any particular woman that I'd immediately go out and look for a party elsewhere. I definitely don't have that 'out' anymore, nor do I want it, but I hate this loneliness!
     What the hell am I going to do about this?
      I all but got down on my knees and begged her to stay. I thought for sure she would tonight since she'd stayed out so late with me at the bar. I guess this is what I get for anticipating.

       Sure, she had to get 'home' so she could email Sean.
       Stop it, Bryce!
       I figured Erin wanted to slow down a little, but I don't know how much more of this I can take. I want her to move in. She and Adele like each other, so what is the fucking problem?! This is faster than most couples take it, but I love her.
        I sit and try to remind myself how fast everything has gone, all things considering. It only just barely makes me feel better. I get up to turn off the lights before I flop down on my bed. Erin's scent on the sheets has weakened.

     The time afterward was hell on earth, but I'm glad Ashley divorced me. Now she was a real bitch. Damn, that woman would drive me crazy. A month one time. No wonder my sex drive exploded once Jesse got me 'dating' again... and sex was available all over the place.
     I groan and roll over to put my face into Erin's pillow. If I dig my nose down into it hard enough, I can really smell her.
     Yes, I'm glad Ashley divorced me. If I'd met Erin while I was still married, I'd have been driven mad. God's toenails, she probably would've dated Jesse. They get along a little too well I think. I kept her from going to his house, because she was concerned, successfully all week while he was moping.
    I pick my head up a second to get a huge breath of fresh air before I go right back to shoving my face into her pillow.
     I went through hell, but it turns out it was all worth it because I came out of it with Erin.
     She shone like an angel in the darkness that day in the park. No wonder I couldn't stop staring at her.
     Now, my 'guiding light' wants a little space... so she can chat online with her ex-fiance. I wish I knew for sure, but I'm afraid to bring it up. She's not telling me something.
     Why does she want to slow things down? I love her, and I want to be with her all the time. She obviously doesn't want the same with me.
      All these nights when she sleeps at her house remind me of when Ashley first left me. Maybe that's got something to do with it.
      It's weirdly poetic, but Erin is my light in the darkness, pulling me out of that time of my life.
      It's not fair to her to do that. I have to pull myself out on my own as well.
      That's it! No wonder I've been holding on so tight.
      I pull my face up out of her pillow, roll over on my side with my head on my pillow, and I hug her pillow to me.
      Erin can't do everything is my last thought before passing out asleep.

     Adele is out of school today for some holiday for some long ago battle. So, we're all going to spend the morning at the beach until I (and Erin) have to go open the bar. I've cut the hours down to noon to midnight so that I could work out a decent schedule. I've found an architect and given him the ideas I want. Then he recommended an interior decorator, and I took his recommendation. Now I'm just waiting on the architect so that I can decide when to close for construction.
     I like Erin's swimsuit, but what the hell has she done with her hair? Those pigtails cover her up!
     I walk over to her and say, "Hello, beautiful." Then I kiss her smile. I questioningly tug on one of her pigtails.
      She shrugs and says, "I thought I'd try something different. Why? You don't like it?"
      "Actually, no. They cover you up." I grin to her blush.
      "That's kind of the idea," she says then goes on about how she hopes it's early enough to where she doesn't have to worry about sunscreen.

    Simon and Pam show up with Jeremy. Simon walks over to me and starts talking about stuff going on at the fire station after I ask. Pamela gets Jer-jer set up playing with some toys in the grass while she works on lighting up a fire in the pit.
     Suddenly, she pulls some sort of archaic beeper out of the beach bag and runs over to show Simon.
     "Sorry, gotta go," he says quickly and runs down the beach.
     Erin gets up out of her lounge chair and walks over to ask me about Simon before going to skip stones with Adele. I smile, again happy that they get along, before going to talk to my sister a second.

     "Oh, I meant to tell you," Pam says, "Bernadette got a job at the school." Pamela used to teach kindergarten before she had Jeremy. She says she's taking a few years off for her second job: being a mom. She and Simon want to have more kids. "Working the front desk," she finishes.
      "Hm. Well, maybe her attitude problem will come in handy there," I say before she has to turn around to prevent Jeremy from sticking his hand into the fire pit. Erin and Adele's laughter makes its way over to me.

      Walking as silently as I can, I sneak up behind Erin before jumping in front of her and surprise her. I hear the sound of a camera taking a picture, and I turn around to see that my sister was acting just as sneaky as I was, following me with Jer-jer on her hip to get a picture like the one she just got. When she sees that I caught her, she giggles maniacally. Then she tells Adele she can roast marshmallows now. I guess it doesn't matter what time of day it is to roast marshmallows.

     I decide to have one; Adele decides to have three.
    Pamela plays in the grass with Jeremy, trying to keep him from eating bugs. That boy's hands are fast. Suddenly, a memory of Ashley doing the same thing hits me. The only difference is Ashley would just disintegrate every bug in a twenty-foot radius, and Adele would cry. I often thought we should just let her try a few bugs; she'd get over that real quick. Ashley thought I was nuts, trying to poison our daughter or something. I'd argue back that at least I didn't make her cry.
     Damn it! I don't want to think about her! Memories have been flooding back to me lately like they've been released from some Pandora's box. I don't know how to deal with them anymore, and they're driving me crazy.
     Adele's phone rings in the beach bag. I know it's hers because of the K-Infinity ringtone.
     "You can go to Helen's house if it's okay with Aunt Pam," I tell Adele while she reaches for her phone, suspecting I know who it is.
     "It's not Helen's phone number," Adele says.

    I watch her like a hawk when she decides to answer it anyway.
    "Hello? ... Who gave you this number? ... Why?" she says into the phone.

     "What about?" she asks.
     "Who is it?" I ask, irritated.
     "It's Todd. Helen gave him my phone number," she tells me quickly. "I was talking to my dad," she says into the phone now.
     Thanks, Helen. I debate taking the phone from my daughter, telling this Todd that she's too young to be talking to boys on the phone, and hanging up.
      Adele giggles, and I stand up. Out of nowhere, Erin reaches up and stops me from taking the phone from my baby girl. Adele looks at me like I just sprouted antennae and walks away a little from the fire pit.

    I spin around and take a few paces away while Adele chats with that boy.
    "It's okay," Erin whispers to me as she walks over to me.
     No, it's not. You don't understand. That is my baby talking to some boy! I want to scream. I keep quiet though.

    I feel a mild panic as I think about how much I've missed during my personal dark ages. While the new bar gets built, I'm spending as much time as I can with my daughter. Erin silently reaches down and holds both of my hands. She has no idea how much she really does mean to me.
     Adele's voice carries over to us, "No, I have a feeling I won't be allowed to do that. ... Because. .... Because because. And I'm making brownies with my aunt this afternoon anyway. .... I don't know; I'll ask." She turns to Pamela who's quietly watching the scene before her, "Can Todd come over to your house?"
     "No," I answer for my sister.
     'Sorry,' Pamela mouths to Adele. I'm grateful she didn't try to undermine me.
     "No, you can't. Sorry, Todd. .... No, it's my dad,"  Adele says into the phone.
     Get off the damn phone, Adele!
      Adele has turned and sees me staring a hole into her.
      "Um, Todd, I gotta let you go," she says. She hangs up, puts her phone in the bag, and asks me, "Why can't he come over?"
      "Because it's rude to invite yourself over and because I said so," I say and watch as she puts one fist on her hip and looks at me with a belligerent expression. I warn her to watch her attitude.

      "It's about time we go change, right?" Erin asks me.
      "Yeah," I answer shortly.
      "All right, well, I'll just go home and take a quick shower before I change."
      "Okay," I answer with a single-word sentence again. Erin looks at me worriedly but doesn't ask me about my mood.

     When I see what Erin has changed into, I have to work very, very hard to restrain myself. Did she have to wear that outfit? 
      This is a bad idea. 
       Please, freak out and come to the realization that you can't do this all on your own.
       I clear my throat and ask, "What the hell are you wearing?" Shit, that sounded awful.

    She glares at me, and I'm not surprised. "You said earlier that I shouldn't cover up so much, and this is comfortable for being outside all day." While I decide what to say to counter her, she says, "And Marie once wore a very similar outfit the other day, and you said nothing to her about it. In fact, you teased Jesse about his reaction."
    I take a step towards her and say with my teeth clenched, "But Marie isn't my girlfriend. I don't notice her like I do you."
     "So your problem is that you notice me," she says sardonically.
     This isn't going to work. This is exactly why I didn't want to give her the job in the first place. I already want to pull her shorts down and have her over the bathroom sink.
      "This isn't going to work, Erin. I'm sorry."
       Her mouth drops. "What? You're not even going to give me a chance? If I don't cover for Marie, who will?"
        "Jones and I will figure something out," I say quickly.
        "Bryce, at least give me a chance."

      "It's not you I'm worried about here," I try to explain without telling her everything.
      "Hey Jones," Erin asks, "would you give us a minute?" Jones nods, gesturing to the empty bar. Then Erin takes my hand and pulls me into the men's room.

    Once inside, she spins around and snaps, "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you? You've been in a weird mood all day."
      Thoughts fly through my head: What's bothering me?! You're bothering me standing right where I wanted to drag you not five minutes ago. I'm going to be horribly distracted by you the whole evening even worse than before because now I'm your boss for all intents and purposes. Memories of Ashley are bombarding me when I least expect them to! I'm worried you're emailing Sean still. 
     And I'm about ready to explode with lust.
     I say none of that.

     Instead, I attempt to show her what's wrong... at least as much as she can fix right now. I attack her.
     I let her have a moment to get over the shock before I hungrily slant my mouth across hers.

    This, Erin, I think as I grind against her for a second.
     Damn it! I can't do this right now!

     I let go of her and take a step back real quick. "Sorry. I think I'm losing my mind."
     "Does Marie clean these floors?" she asks out of the blue.
     Confused, I answer her anyway. "Uh. Yeah. Marie cleans everything. She's a real neat freak."
     "Good. Then I'll guess they're clean enough," she says cryptically.

    She grabs both of my arms and pulls me into the stall. Once inside, she reaches past me to lock it and then proceeds to undo my shorts. Then I figure out why she asked about the floors when she gets on her knees in the cramped space in front of me.
     Funny enough, I've never done anything in this restroom. Several other restrooms all over the island, yes, but never the one at work. For about half a second, I think about telling her she doesn't need to do this, but my mind changes the second her beautiful lips close around me.
     Oh holy fuck! I scream inside my head as I thread my fingers in her hair.
     After a few seconds, I moan her name as she brings her hands up to hold my hips. Why am I surprised she's good at this? After the hot tub... I can't finish my thought because I have to use whatever brainpower I have left in order to keep myself quiet. This woman is merciless! Does she not have a gag reflex?
     My hand flies up to hold onto the top of the door for dear life as my hips automatically work with her fantastic mouth.
      "Erin..." I moan a little bit later. "Erin, I'm going to .... If you don't want ... " She answers me by holding my hips tighter. Oh god, yes. That thought alone sends me over the edge, and I pour myself into her mouth. Shit, she swallowed.
     I stand here panting while she takes a small amount of toilet paper and wipes her mouth. "Feel a little better?" she asks me quietly while she stands up. I can't answer her yet. Not verbally at least. When I think I've caught my breath enough, I grab her and kiss her again. She makes a little noise of surprise.
     "Yes," I answer her question.
      All the other things can wait until later. I'll give this 'Erin being my waitress' thing another chance.


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I hadn't planned on the phone call from Todd to Adele. It actually happened that he called her, and of course, I had to make something of it. :)

Oh, and don't worry. We'll catch up with Jesse and Marie in the next chapter going back to the same night. Erin and Bryce really jumped ahead.