Close Encounters

I spent Friday completely distracted.  I was planning my cabin wardrobe and daydreaming about the way Brody's arm felt around my shoulders as we walked to my car.  I was sitting in my small office, finishing up some paperwork, watching the clock tick agonizingly slowly toward a time I could leave without raising eyebrows.  Charlotte poked her head in.  "Hey!  A few people are going to grab a drink at 5:30 around the corner.  Come with?"

I glanced at the clock on my computer.  4:43.  I could manage 47 more minutes.  I think I had another client file to look through.  "Sounds good, I'll swing by your office and we can walk together!" I responded, happy I was making work friends too.  Plus, I had finally figured out the public transit system here, and didn't have to worry about driving home.  Just had to make sure I got on the right bus.

I busied myself with my client file, and the last 45 minutes were probably the most productive I'd had all day.  Whoops.  Not the best way to act at the end of my first week at a new job.  But I had noticed that everyone seemed a little distracted today.  I had also noticed that there were few people in the office today.  Flexible scheduling has its perks!

At 5:29 I saved my work and shut down my computer.  I grabbed my purse and popped into Charlotte's office, three doors down.  She was shutting down her computer and we walked out together, meeting up with a couple other coworkers as we headed towards the door.  The bar was close, and we were walking in before I even had a chance to process the switch between air conditioning and warm summer air.  We headed immediately to the bar while one person from our group found us a table.  I looked around.  The bar was right in the middle of mostly office space, and it seemed to cater to the after-work crowd.  There were people in business attire all around, and the bar had great happy hour specials.

We settled ourselves into a large corner booth, and I quickly found out that my laid back coworkers were a rowdier group that I imagined.  We were laughing and sharing stories easily.  Before I knew it, it was almost 7 pm.  I walked up to the bar solo to grab drink #3.  I was leaning against the bar, waiting for my drink.  The place was downright crowded now, and I had been waiting a couple minutes when finally the bartender started back with my drink.  I had started to pull out my money when someone put their arm around my waist from behind and a jacketed arm shot out with a bill.  I turned, ready with a sharp comment about personal space, and found myself face to face with Brody.  He grinned at me.  I closed my mouth, my eyes widening in surprise.  "You know," I said, cocking an eyebrow at him, and turning the rest of the way around so my back was to the bar and my hips dangerously close to his, "you shouldn't just put your arms around people that don't know you're there.  You're going to get a knee to the groin someday."  I slid my foot between his feet, so my knee rested between his knees.  Was I...flirting?  I didn't even blush.  Liquid courage, I guess.

He tightened his arm around my waist, pulling me away from the bar.  "I wasn't too worried," he retorted, smirking.  In that moment, I could see what Lauren had warned me about.  But I didn't mind.  He could cock off as much as he wanted with his hips pressed against mine and his arm around my waist.  But then, as if he couldn't come up with an excuse to keep our position any longer, he released me.  I took half a step back so I could look up at him more easily.  I had only ever seen him in jeans or shorts, so I took a second to take in his black dress pants, light striped shirt, and charcoal jacket.  It was a good look for him.  Someone who looked as though he'd been at the bar drinking since lunchtime stumbled away from the bar towards us, and Brody pivoted automatically so the guy ran into him and not me.  Drunk Guy bounced off and continued on his way.  "Your office is on this block, isn't it?" he asked, without missing a beat.

"Oh...yeah, around the corner.  Is yours nearby too?" I responded, still a little distracted.

"We're about two blocks down, but this is one of the best bars around.  I usually come down with a couple people from work once a week or every other."

As if on cue, a tall man who looked to be in his early 30s called from a couple people away, "Brody!  We're heading down the street to get some food, come on!"  Brody smiled apologetically.

"It was good to see you," he said.  "I guess we're heading out.  What time do you think you can make it out to my house on Thursday?"

I was confused for a second, before remembering the cabin.  "Oh, my coworkers said that everyone usually takes off pretty early the day before the 4th.  I figure I can get out around 3.  I told Lauren I'd drive her too, so hopefully we can be out there by 4, 4:30."

"Perfect," he said, smiling with perfect white teeth.  "I was hoping to leave around 5.  It's an hour and a half drive.  We usually stop in the little town nearby for groceries and booze, they stay open late on the 3rd for the cabin crowd, but late is 8, so we need to be there by 7 at the latest if we want to be able to eat and drink." 

"Come on, dude, let's go!" said another man, punching Brody in the shoulder as he walked by.

Brody leaned down and slid his arms back around my waist briefly, saying quietly near my ear, "I'll see you then."  And then he was gone.

I ran into a coworker, Sam, as I made my way back to our table.  "I was looking for you!" she said.  "You didn't come back and we got a little worried.  I hoped you hadn't been crushed at the bar or kidnapped by a creepy middle aged businessman!"

"Oh!  I'm sorry, I ran into someone I know, and I stopped to talk."  Now I was blushing, and Sam saw.

With eyebrows raised, she questioned, "A cute someone you know?"  I cut my eyes at her, and she laughed.  "I'll take that as a yes."  With that, we walked back to the table, where people were starting to filter out.  I sat long enough to finish my drink, then headed home for the night.


I was way more wiped than I should have been after my full week of work, so I took it easy on Saturday.  I slept in (waaaay in), and then spent most of the day lounging on the couch, catching up on my DVRed shows.  I got bored about 7, and invited Cassie and Lauren over to drink wine and watch movies.  We found The Purge on On Demand, but I can't say we were impressed.  Cassie and Lauren got along fabulously though, which made me happy.  They left around 1am, and I slept like a baby.

The next morning I woke up to a text from Kinsley, Brody's friend who lives near me.  "Hey girl!  I am in desperate need of some gym time but seriously lacking in motivation.  Help me out?"  I responded that I was in the same boat and asked what time she wanted to go.  We made plans to go that afternoon.  In the meantime, I ran to the grocery store and did a little cleaning.  I threw on my gym clothes and walked over to the gym.  Kinsley was standing outside when I got there, and she grinned wickedly at me.  "Ready to get your ass kicked?" she asked.

She had talked me into trying one of her favorite classes.  It was a combo class with 30 minutes of Spin and 30 minutes of weights.  An hour later, my ass was indeed thoroughly kicked. (And sore...who thought that those spin bike seats are a good idea?)  As we laid on our mats, "stretching," she said, casually, "So, Brody said you're coming to the cabin this weekend."

"Yeah, he talked me into it.  Are you going?"

"I am.  We went up over Memorial Day weekend too.  It was a blast, but close quarters with Savannah for a whole weekend was kind of a drag," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Ok, does anyone actually like Savannah?" I asked, feeling relieved that Lauren and I weren't alone.

"Kendra does.  They've been friends forever, so she knew Savannah before she went off the rails.  I guess she used to be likeable," Kinsley explained.  "And Savannah's uncle owns some bars and a couple restaurants in the city, so a few people want to keep her around for the perks.  I think that sucks, and I never go to that stuff.  She's impossible to please."

"I see," I said.  I paused, then added, "I get the very distinct feeling that she wishes I'd go back to Wisconsin."

At this, Kinsley burst into laughter.  When she caught her breath, she apologized.  "Sorry.  I'm laughing because Savannah doesn't really like anyone.  But she will definitely never like you.  Brody got too friendly too quickly with you, and regardless if anything happens between you and him, she will forever blame her lack of luck with him on you.  That's what happened to Jenna," she finished, referencing another person I'd met at the barbecue.  "Nothing ever happened between Brody and Jenna, but since they flirted a few times, it was the end of Savannah's world."

"Sounds a little obsessed.  So I take it she's going too?" I asked.

"Not positive, but most likely.  I don't think she'd miss an opportunity to spend the entire weekend breathing the same air as Brody.  She brought a friend with her Memorial Day.  I didn't know the friend but she was pretty cool.  Maybe she'll bring her again.  She seemed to mellow Savannah out a little."

"Well, we can hope!" I said, starting to sit up.  "Ugh, I am going to be sorry I let you talk me into this."

"If it makes you feel any better," Kinsley said, groaning, "I'm going to be sorry too!"

We walked around the track a few times and then walked out together.  We headed our separate ways, and I cursed her silently with every step I took on my way home.

I spent far too long in the shower, letting the hot water sooth my sore muscles.  When I got out, my phone's alert light was flashing.  I dried my hands on my towel and grabbed the phone.  I had a text from John.  "Hope your first week went well.  We made our annual firework purchase today.  Won't be the same without you."  Why couldn't he have just left the last sentence off?  I'd love to be able to just be friends with John, but he made it pretty hard.  I sat in my towel, debating whether or not to respond for 3 solid minutes before going with a neutral response.

"Hey, it went well, thanks!  I really like the agency so far."  Then I tossed the phone on the bed and pulled on some sweats and a t-shirt.  He still hadn't responded when I was finished getting dressed and combing out my hair.  He still hadn't responded when I called it a night around 10pm.  It was weird, but not heartbreaking.  I went to bed thinking about how the week was going to drag.