Lauren: Adults

Spending the night with Alex is nice.  I can't believe how much I missed sleeping next to him.  I don't even know who I am anymore.  We're half asleep and still curled together (well, I'm curled.  He's flat on his back which is pretty much the only way he can sleep, which sounds like the worst torture to me) when his mom barges into his room.  "Oh," she says, seeming confused.  "I forgot you were here, Lauren."  However, she makes no move to leave.  In fact, she smiles brightly at us both.  "Merry Christmas!"

"Mom, seriously," Alex groans.  "We'll be down in a little while."  As an afterthought, he adds, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," I echo, trying to sound more cheerful than Alex.  It's a stretch, because I'm still sleepy and it's early and she totally barged in on us.

She purses her lips and then says, "Okay, well I've got some muffins cooking for a light breakfast, since we'll be doing brunch in a little while.  Lauren, you're welcome to eat before you go."  Then she leaves.

"How nice of her," I mutter, burying my face in the side of Alex's chest.

He strokes my shoulder and cranes his head down to kiss the top of mine.  "I slept so well last night," he tells me.  "I missed sleeping with you.  I really miss having sex with you, but even thinking about it makes me hurt, so..."

"Well, you just let me know when you're feeling up to it," I say quickly.  "I'm ready whenever you are."

He chuckles, then says, "Laughing doesn't hurt quite as much, so that's a good sign.  At this rate, I might be able to have sex in about a month."

I look up at him in horror and he grins.  "I don't think I've ever gone a month without sex," I groan.  "I mean, since I starting having it, anyway."

"It'll be more than that," he points out, "because it's already been a week."

"You're so lucky I love you," I whine, burying my face in the pillow.

"Merry Christmas to me," Alex teases me.  "My girlfriend is mad because I'm injured and can't have sex with her."

"Merry Christmas to you," I retort.  "Your girlfriend loves having sex with you so much that she's disappointed when she can't."

"I...have nothing," he admits.  "Because that is pretty awesome."

"I hear there are men everywhere who wish their wives and girlfriends wanted to have sex with them as much as I want to have sex with you."

"There are also men everywhere who wish their wives and girlfriends didn't want to have so much sex," he replies, smirking.

I raise an eyebrow and look at him skeptically.  "Oh, are you one of them?"

"Not at all," he says quickly.  "I'm just enjoying the debate."

"You're the worst," I mutter.

"Yet you still want to have sex with me," he points out.  I snort and flip the blankets back, starting to sit up.  "No, stay a little longer," Alex implores.  "I'll be nice."

I laugh.  "It's not like I was being nice either," I point out, snuggling back into the bed.  His bed is so comfortable.

We stay in bed for about 15 more minutes before we finally (reluctantly) get up.  "Will you come back tonight?" he asks.  "My parents' flight leaves at 4 so they'll be out of here by 2, I'm sure."

"I think I can manage that," I reply.

I change out of my pajamas and into the clothes I was wearing yesterday.  I'm just going home to shower anyway.  I stay long enough to enjoy one of Alex's mom's blueberry muffins, which are actually really good, then I wish everyone a merry Christmas (this time with a little more cheer) and head home.

I see that the delicious deli by my house is open so I stop in to pick up soup and a sandwich for lunch.  Not much of a Christmas dinner, but I'm fine with it.  I stick my food in the fridge for later, shower, and start looking for more jobs to apply to.  I find two more--one that would be a pretty sweet job and one that doesn't sound great but I'm qualified and it would be better than being unemployed.

When I'm finished, I eat my lunch and put away the gifts I hauled home from Amanda's house.  Then I recline on the couch and watch some trashy TV until Alex texts me that he's ready for me to come back over.  It seems strange to have spent so much time with him lately, but I don't hate it.  I gather a few things and throw them in a bag and then head to Alex's house.  On the way, I stop to pick up pizza, surprised anything is still open.

I knock on Alex's door then let myself in.  "No, no.  Don't get up," I tease Alex, who looks awfully comfortable on the couch.

"You're in fine form today," he replies, shaking his head.  I grin as I lean down to kiss him.  "Hi," he says, when we separate.

"Hi," I say back.  "I brought pizza.  Merry Christmas."  My phone slips out of my pocket and lands on the couch next to Alex.  I glance at it and leave it, because I'll be on the couch soon.   "Are you hungry now or should I put it in the fridge?"

"I'm starving, actually," he replies.  "My mom's brunch was...healthy."

"How awful," I joke.  I wander into the kitchen with the pizza and put slices on plates for us.  I'd eaten pretty early and was hungry too.

When I come back into the living room with the plates of pizza, Alex is giving me a weird look.  "What?" I ask.

"What's this?" Alex asks, holding up my phone.

"What's what?" I reply.  "I forgot my binoculars at home."

The look on Alex's face says he doesn't appreciate my sarcasm.  I set the plates down and take the phone.  I click the button and see a text from Logan.  The text says, "Here's the link for that networking group's site.  Good luck job searching, let me know if I can do anything else."

I frown and sigh.  "I quit my job," I say quietly.

"You what?" Alex asks, and I'm honestly not sure if he's just surprised or if he actually didn't hear me.

"I quit my job," I say, too loudly this time.  I look up at glare at him defiantly, challenging him to question my decision.  "Merry fucking Christmas."

"Laur," he says softly.  "What happened?"

His tone is enough to make me relax my defensive guard that came up right away.  "Sean's a misogynistic, chauvinistic motherfucker," I spit.

"Aren't misogynistic and chauvinistic pretty much the same thing?" Alex asks, looking genuinely confused.

I shake my head and roll my eyes.  "No, they're not," I say.  "They're similar, but misogyny is...oh, never mind.  It's not fucking important."

"Maybe another time," he replies, nodding.  "What did he do?"

I tell him the entire story, and by the end, Alex is almost as angry as I am.  He looks like he wants to say something, and I wait.  Carefully, he says, "I want you to know that I support you and what you did completely.  And you might take this in a way that I don't mean it, but I can't think of a better way to ask.  Why didn't you go to HR?"

"I was too pissed off.  And he'd already talked to HR."

Alex sits up, wincing as he does.  "But who knows what he told them?  He can't just change your job, it's illegal.  It's basically forcing you to quit.  You should talk to HR."

"I'm not going back there.  I'm not working for that asshole," I say quickly, shaking my head.

"No, Laur, that's not what I mean.  You could sue them, or at least get unemployment."

"I don't want their money.  I don't want anything from them.  I just want to be done."

"I understand," he says.  "But there are other women that work there, right?  That work under him?  He's just going to set his sights on another target and do the same thing to her."

I consider this, and I know he has me.  "You're right," I admit grudgingly.  "I'll call on Monday."

He grins.  "Good."  He pauses and looks at my thoughtfully.  "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know," I reply, shrugging.

"That's not true," he says, shaking his head.

I shrug again.  "It happened yesterday.  And you were in such a good mood getting out of the house that I didn't want to ruin it with my shitty news.  I was going to tell you tonight."  I pause and quietly say, "And I didn't want you to be disappointed."

"Disappointed?" he asks, surprised.  "In you?  I honestly can't think of anything you could ever do that would make me disappointed in you.  Except maybe vote for Trump."

I look back up at him and laugh.  "You don't have to worry about that," I assure him.  "It was just so impulsive, and that's not like me.  But I don't regret it."

"You shouldn't," Alex says reassuringly.  "You'll find a new job really quickly.  In the meantime, if you need any help with--"

"I have plenty of money saved," I interrupt him.  "And anyway, you're not even going to be working for a few weeks."

"I also have more than plenty saved," he replies.  "And a really good short term disability plan."

We look at each other and I crack up.  Alex grins, trying not to laugh.  "We're such fucking adults," I gasp, laughing.  "Jesus, listen to us."

"When did that happen?" he asks me, giving me a half smile.  "Do you ever miss being in college?"

"No," I answer quickly.  "I like being an adult.  I like my adult routine."

Alex snorts.  "Of course you do," he says, shaking his head.  "Though it doesn't seem terribly adult-like to be eating takeout pizza for Christmas dinner."

"And not having any Christmas gifts," I add.

"Or decorations," he agrees, looking around.

We look at each other again and grin.  "You're going to hate this, but I don't need any of that stuff."

"Oh, really?" I ask cautiously.  I have a feeling that he's about to be really sappy.

"Really," he says.  "Because all I need is you."

"Oh my god, you're disgusting," I groan, reaching for my pizza, which has sat untouched.

"Yeah?" he asks.  "The worst?"

"The worst," I confirm.  "And I wouldn't have it any other way."