103: The Sound of the Gavel

Bryce

     This is it. The court date has arrived, and Desmond finally has that cocky look I've needed to see. That's why he's my friend, because I can count on him. I shouldn't let myself forget that again, especially after all he did for me with the divorce and making sure Ashley will never be able to touch Adele.

     My girlfriend and other friends file in after us. We are the first case of the day. It's ridiculous this has to be a full-blown trial when it should've been handled in small claims. It would've, but Simon's greedy amount pushed it up into this level of a case.

     The judge walks in, and we're all seated. Then, Simon's lawyer stands up and spouts out a bunch of lies about how I'm a bad boss, etc. If there is one thing I'd like to think I've done close to right, it's be a good businessman. I've always tried to be fair with my employees, even during my personal dark ages, but that woman is making like I'm a blind, selfish idiot.

     Desmond gets up and says his bit next, keeping it short and to the point. I had a valid reason for firing him on the spot, and Simon hasn't suffered like he's implied. I get the feeling Desmond kept it short because the judge had started to look annoyed at how Simon's lawyer unnecessarily reiterated things. It's not like this is a jury trial for fuck's sake.

     Simon does his testimony first, and I lose track of how many times I roll my eyes. When I hear him tell the court he thought Marie was pretty, I hear Jesse shift in his seat behind me. I'm sure my friend would love to have Simon become better acquainted with his fists.

      His lawyer asks, "Mr. Cottrell, what did Mr. Burch say as he fired you?"

      "It was something like 'I'm reorganizing and you have no place in it.' It was only later, when I told him I wanted a severance package or I'd sue him, that I learned he thought I'd also sexually harassed Marie. Even though he didn't say it exactly at the time, that was the reason he fired me."

     "And how did you react to this news?"

     "I was horrified! Sure, I'd flirted, gotten a warning, but then I stopped. How can that be a reason to fire me if I did what he wanted with the warning? I haven't been able to get another job because of it! I want that taken off my record, and I want to be recompensed for what I've had to go through as I've been shunned from other job opportunities."

      Well, of course he's been shunned! Any time anyone calls me to have me explain the 'unprofessional attitude and actions' that is actually on his record, I tell them that I have reason to believe he harassed two of my employees. I'm always sure to tell them I have no proof but that also I was getting tired of his snarky attitude with me, my employees, and the patrons.

     Desmond stands up to cross-examine.

     "Mr. Cottrell, would you say it's acceptable to wrap your arms around a lower-ranked employee you'd just met?" he asks.

     He shrugs. "I'm a friendly guy. I hug people. We'd been working together for a few hours already. I didn't think she'd be shocked." He rubs the back of his head.

     "So, you're saying she should've expected it since you'd been working together for a few hours already?"

     "Well, yeah, kinda. There isn't a whole lot of space behind the bar, and we'd been bumping into each other all morning."

      "Would you say that Miss Parren could've interpreted your bumping into her or brushing against her in a flirtatious way? After all, you said you didn't think she'd be surprised."

      "I didn't think it was a big deal. Sure, I was mildly flirting while we were back there. Like I said, I thought she was cute."

     "Well, from what happened, it's apparent Miss Parren didn't enjoy the flirting."

     "Hindsight is 20/20. Easy for you to say now." He shifts again in his chair.

     "You say you are emotionally distraught at being accused of harassment?" Desmond stands up straightly, and I see the cocky expression show up.

     "Well, yeah, because I'm not guilty of that."

     "How emotionally distraught are you?"

     "Uh, how much would you be? I can't get another job. I'm really worried about my financial situation. I can't sleep at night."

     "You're so worried about your financial situation that you can't sleep at night?" Desmond tries to sound sympathetic like he's surprised Simon would say that, but I know better.

     "Yeah," he answers, looking upset.

     Desmond smirks now and pulls something out of his briefcase. He presents photographs to the judge that show just how 'emotionally distraught' Simon has been over the last few weeks as he's partied all over the island every night.

     I lightly chuckle in my seat. 'Emotionally distraught' my ass!

     "Clearly, your spending habits don't indicate that you're worried about your finances, and perhaps you should rethink the reason why you haven't been getting much sleep at night," Desmond says to Simon.

      "Other people bought me those drinks and stuff. I've had to mooch off people," Simon claims, getting defensive suddenly.

      "I have the bartender from Hurricane here this morning. Shall we ask him whether or not you were paying for your own drinks, as well as the drinks of everyone there?"

      Simon wilts. "I paid. I'll be fine once I get what Bryce owes me."

      "No further questions."

      The oppressive weight on my shoulders immediately gets lighter! Desmond proved that whole 'emotional distress' is nothing but a bunch of crap. But...we still have to solidify my reason.

      Bernadette gets to tell her story next. There's nothing she can really say as to Simon's emotional state, but I wonder what that bitch lawyer is going to do with her. She asks her to explain her relationship with him, and Bernadette says she thought I knew that she and Simon were dating and thought I was okay with it since nothing was done. Bullshit! The lawyer outright asks her if she, at any time, felt sexually harassed, and she says no, absolutely not, that Simon had, at one point, even asked her if all they were doing was okay with her even though he was her boss. She says, "Of course I thought it was okay. He was really sweet."

     Simon smiles, folds his arms, and leans back in his chair. I want to both shake Bernadette and punch Simon's face in.

     The lawyer keeps it short, and Desmond stands up. He asks her if she and Simon are still together. She answers no, of course. He asks when they broke up.

     "About a week before I quit working at the bar," she answers.

     Desmond asks her why she quit, and she says it was because I was being an ass. What?! The judge scolds her for her language, and she changes it to saying I was being a jerk. Desmond asks her to elaborate.

     "Because I was overworked. Simon was out of town, and all Bryce wanted to do was be with that new girl Erin." She crosses her arms defensively, and I can't help but be surprised that she sounds jealous of Erin.

      Desmond asks exactly what I'm thinking, if he detected a hint of a jealous tone there.  The other lawyer objects, and the judge agrees with her. Desmond doesn't look bothered by it at all. He did that on purpose. He probably knew he'd get that objection, but the idea has already been put into people's heads, whether or not it's been stricken from the record. 

     Desmond asks his question in a different way, asking Bernadette if, since she'd dated one boss, she'd entertained ideas about dating the other one. She looks at him like he's crazy and asks him why he'd suggest that. He smiles and answers that she said I was being a jerk by being around that new girl Erin.

     "And not coming in to work!" she exclaims, trying to claim that as the reason.

     I remember when Desmond had asked for the time sheets from that week. Overworked my ass, you lazy bitch.

     Desmond walks over to his briefcase, flips through a few pages, and presents a time sheet and hands it to the judge, explaining it's the copy I had that I'd printed that following Monday. He points out it shows me working just over forty-five hours, Paul Jones working a bit over thirty-two, and Bernadette working twenty-four hours and fifteen minutes. He also presents printouts of each day, showing when we clocked in and out.

     The man thinks of everything. But why is he bringing up how much we worked?

     "I just felt like I had to do more than normal," Bernadette explains in a small voice.

     "And why would that be? It wasn't because Mr. Burch wasn't there."

     "Fine. It was because Simon wasn't there, and he'd always make things easy on me." Oh, I think as I realize where he's going.

     "But didn't you break up a week before this?" Desmond asks.

     Bernadette looks like she's floundering, trying to remember the details of her lies. She stutters out that when Simon was around, work was easy. Desmond asks if it was easy after they broke up.

     "Well, um, we didn't break up until after I quit. I guess I got the details mixed up," she says, looking at her hands.

     Desmond gets her to reiterate that they broke up the day she quit, and he asks why. She answers that it was because she wasn't going to be working at the bar anymore. He asks if her quitting made Simon angry. She says no, that he was okay with it, but since she wasn't working at the bar anymore, their relationship was over.

     "So, from what you've said, your relationship with Mr. Cottrell was directly related to your employment status at The Flamingo. You also said that when you worked, Simon would make things easy on you. I can only deduce that your relationship was built upon you trading favors for a better working environment."

     The other lawyer stands up, and the judge automatically silences her. She looks like she wants to hear this.

     "Is this true?" Desmond asks point blank.

     Bernadette sets her face in a stubborn grimace. "All I'm saying is that we were together while we worked together and that he was a nice boyfriend when we worked together."

     Desmond says he's done. The other lawyers have no more witnesses. Desmond calls me up next.

    I tell everyone that I had no idea that Simon and Bernadette were 'dating,' and that if I did, I would've advised against it. I'm a firm believer that managers should not date their employees. Desmond asks me that if I'd known, would he have fired Simon for it? I answer no, that I would've first found out if it was consensual. Desmond directly asks me why I fired Simon.

     "I fired Simon because of the way he insinuated his relationship with Bernadette was. I'd just gotten onto him about making a pass at Marie, and then I find out that he'd had a thing going with Bernadette when he said how I never had a problem with it, him making passes at employees, when it was Bernadette. To me, that meant that he was trying to get the same type of relationship with Marie as he had with her. I fired him for his unprofessional attitude and actions."

      "Mr. Cottrell claims you fired him for sexual harassment," Desmond states.

      "I fired him for unprofessional behavior. I'd just seen Simon and Jesse arguing, and I'd heard Simon taunt Jesse like, 'jealous?' To me, that implied that his motives to Marie were impure. Then, when I heard about his previous relationship with Bernadette, that was it. When other possible employers have called me asking to clarify the unprofessional behavior, I'd tell them I believed he was harassing my employees. It's not written exactly that way because I don't have any solid proof since Marie says she thinks she overreacted, and Bernadette is saying that hers and Simon's relationship was consensual because I wouldn't set her up with Jesse."

     For a second or two, many eyes turn to Jesse, who looks like he'd like to crawl under the bench he sits upon. But people don't look at him longer than that because Bernadette stands up and starts yelling.

     "You jerkface sonofabitch! Like I would do something like that!? You and Jesse think way too much about yourselves! To even assume I'd want anything to do with either of you!" The judge tries to get her to calm down, but she won't shut up, going on about how she hated working at the bar, hates me, Jesse, Simon, Marie, and Erin. She has to be escorted out. Desmond looks like he's trying to remain impassive and hide an elated expression. He mostly succeeds, the only outward sign being a slight twitch at the corners of his mouth.

     "Anyway," I say, wanting to be sure to get my point across, "my reasons for firing him were that I was going to reorganize, which I have, and he has no place in it. The main reason, however, was his unprofessional actions."

     Desmond says he's done, and that woman stands up to ask me some questions now.

     She looks at me, and immediately, I know she thinks I'm hot. I have a strange sensation in the middle of my stomach, somewhat under my bellybutton, and a gut instinct tells me to get and keep eye contact. I've got you, I think when she looks me in the eye. Her lips part like she meant to speak but forgot what she was going to say. She can't focus, and I again feel a surge of power, similar to last night with Erin, but somehow different. I don't understand it, but I'll use it.

      Go ahead and talk; you have a job to do, I think to her.

      She tries to breathe normally as she asks, "Mr. Burch, how long did my client work for you?"

      She'd already had this fact stated when she asked Simon. "Three years," I answer. You need to do better than that. 

      She shakes her head and looks down, trying to free herself, but I still have that tugging sensation in my middle. While she looks down, she asks, "How is it that you failed to notice that two of your employees were dating?"

     That's better, I think, and her light brown eyes meet mine again. "They were exceptionally good at hiding it. The very fact that they felt the need to hide it tells me that the nature of their relationship was one that they didn't want to parade around, especially in front of their boss."

     Again, she looks like she's having trouble breathing. "My client tells me that you would often flirt with customers. Is this true?" Her fingers reach up and start toying with her lip.

     I half-smile at her, maintaining eye contact. I have a strong feeling that if I asked her to get on her knees and bark, she would. "If the bar wasn't too busy, yes," I answer evenly. And you wish you were a customer right now, don't you? I continue, "But I'd never flirt with my employees. It's unethical."

     She starts hyperventilating. "And did you... inform your other... employees of this... this..."

     With a small amount of pity, I answer her question. "No. I was under the mistaken impression that I was leading by example." I think you're finished. You don't have any more pertinent questions to ask me, and you need to go sit down and catch your breath. 

     "No further questions," she breathes, and I release her. She turns around and flees to her chair.

     What the hell was THAT?! I ask myself, allowing for my own surprise to kick in as I make my way to my seat. I'd instinctually not let myself ponder what was happening, knowing it was more important that I control her... as if to reduce a threat to myself. I wipe my face and sit back in my chair as Desmond calls Marie.

    She looks terrified as she sits down. After taking a deep breath, her eyes gaze up over everyone, and then she suddenly gasps, "Père."

    Huh? I question as I and several people turn around to follow Marie's gaze. A man standing in the back gives a small half-wave before returning to his previous position. Marie's dad is here. My eyes look to Jesse, and he looks back at me in a terrified way. I don't blame him. From what I've learned, her dad was the one to teach Marie SimFu. Jesse's told me, knowing they were going to visit in a few weeks, about his nervousness about the whole thing. Apparently, John Parren knows several ways to kill a man, and Jesse is dating his daughter...

     All this happens in a matter of seconds before people return their attention to Marie. Her father's presence has visibly shaken her, yet she still insists that she overreacted to Simon's come-on. I do my best to control my expression, and I find myself feeling a slight pity for her. She doesn't want to remember it as it happened.

     Desmond doesn't let her un-cooperative-ness unnerve him. Instead, he merely gets Marie to tell everyone how each moment made her feel. Several times, she reiterates "but I was overreacting," but Desmond presses on anyway.

     The other lawyer asks Marie why she slapped Simon, that surely if she felt that threatened, she'd do more. Desmond shifts in his seat, almost unnoticeably. The woman has a picture of Marie practicing on the training dummy at the gym, saying that surely Marie didn't feel that threatened or she would have done more.

     "Why would you only slap him if you know SimFu?" the woman asks.

      Marie looks to the back and wears a drastically apologetic look on her face before she cries out, "Because I'm terrible when I panic! He wouldn't stop touching me!"

      If he wasn't keeping a 'poker face,' Desmond would probably be doing a fistpump right now. The other lawyer played right into him. I smile. He couldn't get Marie to admit it to him, but he had a hunch the kinds of questions that woman would ask, and having her dad in the audience shook her enough to admit the truth. I don't really understand why Desmond didn't just ask those questions himself, but then, I'm not the strategist he is.

     Jesse's turn. Desmond had only informed everyone, including Jesse, this morning that he would be testifying. I didn't know that was allowed, but I guess a surprise witness isn't that odd. And obviously, it's allowed.

     "Mr. Gillespie, Miss Parren says you arrived after she slapped Mr. Cottrell across the face. Please tell us what you saw," Desmond requests, leaving it completely open for him. I take a deep breath and hope Jesse doesn't choose to try and downplay what happened for Marie's benefit.

     "Sure. I actually saw more than that. I was walking up the sidewalk when I saw that slimy little... when I saw Simon with his hands on her stomach, pressing her back into him. He was talking into her ear. I didn't hear what he said, but I'm guessing she didn't like it much seeing as she slapped him in the face." He pauses to take a breath, looking madder by the second as he remembers. "It was then that I yelled out, demanding to know what was going on. Marie looked terrified, like she wanted to hide, so I asked her to speak to me in the overflow seating area. She was shaking! Once we were seated, I asked her if she felt comfortable working with him. She told me no, that she wasn't. I knew Bryce would need to know what was going on, so I convinced her to let me take her over to his house."

     "You say she was shaking?" Desmond asks.

     "Like a leaf," he answers.

      Desmond says he doesn't have any further questions, surprising me, and that other woman stands up.

      "Mr. Gillespie, tell me why you were over at the bar that afternoon," she requests.

      "I was over there to try to convince Marie to go to a party I was throwing the next day. I let that go when I saw what was happening," he answers.

      "You are romantically involved with Miss Parren now, are you not?" Her eyebrows raise.

      "Yes. She's my girlfriend." he swallows, and I see the fear in his eyes as he does everything he can to keep from looking Mr. Parren's way.

      "How long have you known the defendant?"

      "Bryce? About six, seven years. We're friends."

      She changes directions again. "Were you romantically involved with Miss Parren the day Mr, Cottrell was fired?"

      "No. Not really," he answers.

      "What do you mean by 'not really'?"

       He takes a breath. "Well, I mean that I'd've loved to have been 'romantically involved,'" he does the air quotes in a sarcastic manner, "with her at that time, but I wasn't yet."

      "So, while you were walking up to the bar that day, you saw the girl you wished to be romantically involved with in the arms of another man. Do you think this had anything to do with how you viewed the scene?"

      Jesse's temper flares up. "Look, lady, miss, ma'am, viper, whatever, I know what I saw. Even with my personal feelings aside, he made sexual advances at her to a point to where she was too uncomfortable to remain there alone with him."

      "Mr. Cottrell said that you were speaking with Marie when the bar had gotten busy and she'd abandoned him to work the bar alone. Tell me, that evening, were you keeping Miss Parren distracted on purpose in order to rile up Mr. Cottrell's anger?"

      He backs his head up, and his accent gets thicker when he says, "Well, that's a mighty big assumption there. But yes, actually, since I have to tell the truth, I was. And let me tell you, it worked! He came storming over there and telling her she needed to stop flirting and get back to work. I was thinking 'ha! If only she were flirting!'" People in the courtroom chuckle, and Jesse looks perturbed they do. He doesn't see what he's saying as funny. He purses his lips and continues, "So, since she wouldn't defend herself, I jumped in and told him that he had no right to accuse her of flirting instead of working since he'd done the exact same thing earlier that day with Erin. Then, do you wanna know what he said next?!"

      The judge speaks quietly to him, "Mr. Gillespie, calm down."

      He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. While he does that, the lawyer asks, "Mr. Gillespie, have you and my client ever gotten along?"

      "Hell no!" So much for calming down. "I can't stand the little f-." He stops before he finishes and quickly thinks up a more appropriate way to describe him given the current company. "The little slimeball. But that's not what's important because of what he said next." She tries to get a word in, but he won't let her. "He looked at me with a wicked grin and asked 'jealous?' Bryce came over to break up the argument, and Simon accuses him of taking my 'side' because I made a pass at his 'friend's crush' as he put it. He admitted to making a pass at her! Then, he tells Bryce that he'd never had a problem when he'd done the same kind of thing to Bernadette. The same stuff! Yeah, so Bryce fired him since that was the first he'd heard of it." He folds his arms and closes his mouth, probably to that woman's delight.

      The judge asks him to step down, having heard enough.

      Desmond says he has no further witnesses, and the judge gives us all a thirty-minute break while she decides what to do.

      I turn around and hug Erin, just needing to hold onto her for a moment. "I think it went well, all things considering. The truth came out," she tells me.

      "Yeah," I say, but I'm distracted, remembering something Jesse said. He said Simon had taunted him with the 'jealous' thing after Jesse had fussed at him for flirting with Erin, implying Jesse would be jealous Simon was flirting with her. I'd always thought Simon meant Marie, but did he?

      Marie introduces us to her father, and we find out that her whole family has just arrived this morning. We stand and talk for a while before the judge comes in from her much-shorter-than-expected break.

     The judge comes out. I take a deep breath and hope my legs support me as I stand.

     "Mr. Cottrell," she says, "I do not appreciate you wasting my time with your 'emotional distress' claim. That is obviously not the case. I am not awarding you any of the sum you requested for that." She turns to me. "Mr. Burch, I strongly believe your instincts are correct; however, you did not have the right to tell others of only suspected harassment, regardless of how true it may be. You didn't follow the proper procedure, so I'm ordering you to award Mr. Cottrell three months' salary, including a reasonable amount for lost tips. You are not required to pay his legal fees." She turns back to Simon. "Mr. Cottrell, you are incredibly lucky that this is not specifically a sexual harassment case. From the testimonies I've heard today, I'd probably declare you guilty as such; however, since that is not the issue being brought forward, I can't. But, I can and will legally change your record to show that you were fired for sexual harassment since this case has to do with your dismissal." She faces everyone now, "Have a pleasant afternoon." With the sound of the gavel, a giant smile breaks out on my face.

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Some poses from this chapter by me found here.

102: It's a Kind of Magic

Erin

     My hands cover my face. I'd been pacing in the kitchen, worried and wondering if I should call Jesse and Marie to help me find where Bryce went, when Bryce opened the sliding glass door. Now, I have to work at calming down. Bryce is fine; he's upstairs apologizing to Adele like I asked him to.
     Instead of calming down like I'd like, other worries come in and take the place of the previous ones: the lawsuit, the bar, Bryce's sanity through all this.

     I should sell my house.

     I have no idea how much Bryce will have to pay Simon if he loses. Simon is suing for three months' salary and 100k for "emotional distress." I think it's ridiculous, but I'm scared Bryce will lose. If I sold my house, that would put a big dent in that amount.

     No. Don't be crazy, Erin. You need that house. Lately, you and Bryce fight just as often as you don't. It's not like I didn't expect to fight, but I didn't expect it to be this often. And it's not your responsibility to financially support him.

     But I don't want him to lose his house or bar.

     He can get a loan.

     But if I can help… I debate whether or not I'm acting selfish.

     Bryce walks in the kitchen, goes to the fridge, gets a bottle of water, glances at me with an expressionless look, and walks back out before heading back upstairs, his shorts still dripping water on the floor. I stand here mutely the entire time.

     I listen as he leaves Adele's room a few minutes later, and he crosses the hallway to his bedroom, probably to change clothes. My guess turns out to be correct, I notice, when he walks into the kitchen in nothing but that pair of jeans, those old, worn-out jeans that fit him perfectly, especially where it counts.

     "I dried off," he tells me and runs his hand through his hair.

     Shit. He looks so fucking hot. Even though he says he's dried off, a small amount of water still sticks to the hair on his chest, and the hair on his head is still very damp. All the physical labor he's had to do to help build the new bar has really toned him up… not that he wasn't built before. I look down at his bare feet and have a very bizarre, sudden fantasy about where I'd like to stick his toes.

     I close my eyes and work at bringing myself back to reality. 'Kinky-as-shit person,' as Bryce said.

     He walks up and wraps his arms around me before saying, "I apologized to Adele. Am I allowed to apologize to you now?"

     I sigh. I'd exploded at him earlier, which was probably the last thing he needed. "I guess you don't really have to. You're under a lot of stress lately, and I understand."

     "That's no excuse. I still should've given you some indication of where I was going instead of just disappearing like I did. I'm sorry I didn't. I told Jesse and Marie, but I guess they only thought about their own problems." His warm hand rubs up and down my back, giving me that 'love touch' feeling again.

     "Bryce…" He's unconsciously using it as a tool to keep me from flipping out. A strange noise escapes me as I fight to remain lucid.

     "Yes?" he asks, and his voice has taken on that hypnotic timbre again.

     I wish I could say what I'm thinking in a way that makes more sense, but all I can get out is, "You're not a freak."

     He chuckles. "You sure about that?"

     Focus, Erin. "You have no idea… Do you?... What you're doing."

     He sounds surprised. I imagine his eyebrows raised, but I can't keep my eyes open long enough to see for sure, when he says, "I think I've proven the exact opposite is true."

     He thinks I just mean sex. "Magic." I take a deep breath. "You're not a freak."

     His hand stops. "What are you talking about?"

     I work at catching my breath while resting my forehead against his chest. "In a long line, like you said to me. I don't think that's true."

     He sighs. "Erin, it is, and I'm okay with that."

     "No, Bryce. Your hands have some sort of hypnotic 'love touch.'" I wish I could've said it better.

     He laughs. "Have you ever seen that movie Earth Girls Are Easy? That's what it sounds like you're telling me."

     "That's exactly where I'm getting it from." Preposition. … Fuck it; it doesn't matter.

     He pauses. "So, you're telling me I'm like Jeff Goldblum's character?"

     "Is it really that hard to believe? And yes, that's what I'm saying. And lately, it's gotten stronger. Even before, I always noticed your hands being warmer than most, and now that I look back on it, every time you would hold my hand or lead me somewhere, it would calm me down even if only a little and make me relaxed. I even remember thinking that during that time when I first showed up to that party at The Flamingo."

     "You're really serious about this?" he asks, sounding like he doesn't believe me still.

     "Completely serious. Like just a minute ago, you were doing it."

     "How?" he asks and lightly rubs my back.

     "That's not it."

     "It's not? Yeah, Erin. I don't think it's possible."

     "Try to, um, emotionally get into it or something. That's when it happens." I take a deep breath and mentally prepare myself should he figure it out and do it consciously.

     He continues to rub my back, but it feels normal. Wanting to prove it to him, I tilt my head up and kiss him, a slow, deliberate kiss, my tongue dancing with his. His breathing changes, and he moves with me. His hands heat up, almost too hot, as they move up and down my back.

     Holy shit! I stop kissing him and feel my head fall backwards as I let out a high-pitched sound. Bryce supports my weight when my knees give out, and he rests the top half of me on the counter top. Meanwhile, his hand doesn't stop as it journeys to my collarbone and neck.

     "Holy shit," I hear Bryce say through the psychedelic whirlwind he's transported me to. He lets his hand travel down my side and up my stomach. "Erin?" His hand covers my breast and massages it, and I vanish from this plane of existence. My entire being hums as pleasure wraps me in its electric embrace. Pulses of light stream past me in repeating shock waves, finally dissipating on the distant, infinite horizon.

     I hear my own breathing. The world is a concrete place again, and I realize I must be lying down on a soft, flat surface. I'm totally comfortable but curious as to where I actually am.

     "I think… you're right," I hear Bryce say from somewhere above me. After a second or two, he asks, "Are you awake yet?"

     "Hm," I let out like a purring cat.

     "That was crazy, Erin! How did I do that? It felt like, like I could do anything to you." He pauses. "You think I've always been able to do this?"

     "Not…that…powerful, but yes."

     "Well, shit, obviously. If I'd been able to do it like I did a little while ago, I'd've noticed that. My hands felt like they had a surging power in them to where I could, I don't know, mold you."

     "And it's irresistible," I manage to say.

     "That was amazing to watch you go completely unhinged. You had absolutely no control over yourself, did you?"

     "None," I agree, and I can finally open my eyes. Bryce looks down at me with a look of childish wonder on his face. He's adorable.

     "How? Why only now have it this powerful?"

     "I don't know." I shrug.

     A wicked grin spreads across his face as he looks down at me and asks, "Want to go again?"

     "Shit, Bryce, I don't think I can take it."

     "I need it. I'll try not to be overpowering again." He undoes my pants and starts pulling them down. I don't have enough control over my limbs to stop him. Reading my look, he says, "For once, I feel like something is going right. This is wonderful! I'm not a freak. Please, Erin. Again. Only this time, I want to be making love to you as I do it."

     "Like Christmas morning," I say dreamily as he removes his pants.

     He smiles. "Is that why you couldn't stand up?"

     "Mhm," I say and nod my head slightly.

     Sitting on his feet, he grabs my hips and gently pulls me up to him. "Come here, baby," he says lovingly as he lifts me to where I'm straddling him on his lap. I try to help as much as I can to join our bodies, and he moans when he finally gets me like he wants. With a deep breath in, he wraps his arms around me and starts moving.

     His mouth finds my nipple while one arm unwraps itself so that he can rest his hand on my hip. Then, it starts again. My hips feel like they're buzzing, and Bryce groans in pleasure. "So damn good," he says quietly into my chest. "Mmmm. More."

     "Bryce!" I gasp as I fight to hang onto the here and now.

     "Come with me, Erin," he begs as his hands take over my body.

     I disappear again, but this time, Bryce is here with me, breathing with me, sharing in the ecstasy of the moment. His face looms before me, and I feel like I actually fall into his warm brown eyes. A constant pulse surrounds me while I bathe in Bryce's soul. So much pain. So much sorrow and loss. So much love for Adele and me. I want to cry with the clarity with which I see him. This is Bryce! This is the man I love! Every fault the world sees is merely a cover-up for each pain he's had to endure. I wish I could take away all the pain he's ever felt, but I know I sadly can't. Instead, I'll spend every available moment loving him for the wonderful man he is.

     An explosion rips the fabric of our universe, and I dimly realize it's actually our shared orgasm.

     Clarity returns with shocking speed, and I find myself on our bed with Bryce above me, looking into my eyes.

     "I love you. I want to be there for you like no one else has. I want to put you first in everything I do. I want nothing more than to spend every available moment loving you for you."

     At first, I thought I said the words, but slowly, it occurs to me that I wasn't the one to say them. Tears fill my eyes when I suddenly see all of my pain: my father abandoning us when I was seven, all the mean things Meredith would do to me, all the teasing about being 'shy,' Sean cheating on me.

     Bryce leans down to kiss me, wordlessly begging me to stop crying.

     Everything I saw in him, he saw in me, and he loves me more for it.

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Something with me lately and doing earworm chapter titles: