There's Something Wrong With You

Monday and Tuesday were just as crazy as I was expecting them to be.  By the end of the day on Tuesday, I was thanking myself for my foresight in scheduling dinner with Brody on Wednesday, because all I wanted to do was go home and sleep.

On Wednesday I was still tired, but I was excited to see Brody again.  I was shocked at how quickly things had fallen back into place.  It almost felt like he was never even gone.  At the same time, it didn't quite feel real yet.

Brody was waiting for me outside the restaurant when I got there.  I greeted him and hugged him.  As we walked in, he said, "Just so you know, I'm waiting for a phone call from a client, and if he calls, I have to take it.  It should only be a couple minutes."  This puzzled me, because Brody had never taken a work call in the middle of dinner before.  He must have seen the confusion on my face, because he said, "It sucks, but I've been taking a lot of after hours calls since coming back and being on my own.  We used to have people that handled that stuff, but they're all in my dad's office, so I don't have that anymore."

"That makes sense," I replied.

We sat down and he set his phone on the table next to him.  He asked about my day and I had just started to tell him about it when his phone rang. He glanced at it, then gave me an apologetic look.  "I'm sorry," he apologized.  "I'll be right back."  He grabbed his phone and stepped away from the table.

He returned a couple minutes later and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before sitting down.  "Okay, that should hopefully be it," he guessed, looking at me sheepishly.  "You were saying?"  So I started over, telling him about my day.  It was complete with lots of complaining about work.

"Have you started applying anywhere else?" Brody asked sympathetically when I was finished.

"I've started looking and I have a list of a few places I'm going to apply, but I haven't had the time to update my resume and write cover letters yet.  I'm thinking I'll do that this weekend.  I feel like I just wrote 700 cover letters to get out here and it's a little daunting to go home and do it after I've been at work for 11 hours.  I just need to sit down when I can do a bunch at once and get them out of the way," I explained.  I asked him about his day and we settled into easy conversation. 

After dinner, I asked if he was going to come over.  He glanced at his watch and said, "I can come over for a little while but unfortunately I can't stay tonight.  If you want I'll plan to stay tomorrow night."

"That sounds good," I replied, as we walked out together.  When we got my house, Brody sat down on the couch while I took my shoes off and hung my coat up.  "That is not where I want you," I protested, walking over and grabbing his hand.

"It's not?" he asked with mock innocence.  "But I like it here."  He tugged me closer and pulled me down into his lap.  I was about to argue when he kissed me and slid his hand beneath the hem of my skirt.    His fingers inched up my thigh as his mouth moved to my neck.  "Where was it that you wanted me?" he asked softly. 

"That's a loaded question," I said as his hand slid over my ass.  He tugged at my underwear and I shifted my weight so he could pull them off.  I shifted again so I could undo his belt and pants.  When I got them undone, he lifted both of us enough to push them down.  I used both hands to stroke him while he pulled my skirt up to my waist.  He groaned against my neck and slid his fingers against me before lifting me easily and moving me so I was straddling him.  I slid down onto him and gasped when he slipped his hand between us and pressed his thumb against me.  I pressed my face against his neck, but he turned my head to kiss me as I moved against him.  I moaned against his lips as I came.  Brody nipped at my lower lip as he steadied my hips with his hands and brought his hips up to mine, thrusting hard into me until he finished.

I dropped my head onto his shoulder and leaned against him, catching my breath.  His hands slid beneath my shirt and massaged my lower back.  I groaned and started to shift off of him when his phone rang from his pocket.  "I'm not answering that," he murmured, helping me move so he could pull his pants back on and recline on the couch.  I pulled my skirt back down over my hips and laid back against him.

I settled against his chest and sighed happily.  "I wish you could stay," I said, letting my heavy eyelids droop closed.

"I do too," he replied, running his fingers through my hair before settling his hand on my shoulder, his fingers stroking the back of my neck.  "That's one thing I really hate about my house.  It's so far away and if I forget to bring clothes for tomorrow, I can't just run home in the morning." 

I was about to reply when his phone rang again.  He sighed and fished it out of his pocket.  "Shit," he muttered before answering.  I sat up so he could get up.  He walked into the kitchen, talking quickly and with clear frustration.  I only heard bits and pieces (something about a press release?) but with the way he was gesturing with his free hand, it looked like he was arguing with whoever was on the other end.  Finally, he turned back towards me, and said, "I'll call you back."  He listened for a second and then frowned.  "I will, but do you think I could at least say goodbye to my girlfriend first?"  He listened again and then hung up.

I stood as he walked back in.  "I'm sorry," he told me, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my forehead.  "I have to go back to the office."

"I heard," I responded.  I leaned back and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him.

"I'll try to make it to at least some of happy hour tomorrow, but I'll definitely spend the night okay?"  His phone rang again and he sighed in frustration.  "Damn it Neil, 5 fucking minutes," he growled.  He silenced the ringer and then smiled wryly at me.  "I love you," he said, kissing me one more time.

"I love you too.  Don't kill Neil," I replied with a smirk.

"If Neil had a girlfriend as pretty as you, he'd understand a little better," Brody laughed.  "Goodnight, Liv."  I said goodnight and locked the door behind him.

I had just started up the stairs to change into pajamas and wash my face when the doorbell rang.  I opened it and saw Cassie standing on my porch.

"What the hell? When were you going to tell me?!" she shrieked, pushing past me and coming inside.

"Umm, right now?" I replied with an innocent smile.  "Brody and I are back together."

"I don't know if I should be ecstatic for you, or pissed that you didn't tell me," she said, looking a little miffed.

I grimaced.  "I'm sorry, you're right.  Everything has been crazy since it happened, and between that and work this week, and I didn't even think about it."

She glared at me for a second before sitting down.  "Well now that I got that out of my system, go ahead, tell me everything!"  I told her the story, and she made a variety of strange facial expressions as I went through it.  When I finished, she said, "There's something wrong with you.  You know that, right?"

"That's what everyone keeps telling me," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"Seriously, Liv.  You should do what normal people do.  If you're going to tell someone you're in love with them, you can just call them.  This isn't a chick flick." 

"I am dangerously close to kicking you out," I warned her.  I was mostly kidding.  Mostly.

"Well, I'm glad it worked out at least.  I mean, I know I didn't even meet James, but I just don't think I liked you guys together.  Does Brody have a brother?  If he does, I bet his brother won't assault you."

I stifled a yawn.  "I think you're even more honest than Lauren," I observed. 

"Someone needs to keep an eye on you," she said, standing.  "I'll let you sleep.  Next time tell me things."

"I will," I promised.  "Goodnight, Cassie!"  She said goodnight and left, and I hauled myself upstairs for bed.