Brian’s POV

When I left my house and Jimmy behind, I thought it was a good idea. But I listened to Jimmy, I decided to clear my head, before doing a rash decision. I brought myself to go for a run, maybe to come up with another solution, maybe to throw away the idea that was forming in my head.

I kept on running and was sweaty from head to toe, but when I looked up I realized where my feet had brought me.

I was standing before the apartment building where Chris and Everly lived. So the idea was still there and in my head it sounded good. I just didn’t know if Everly would be up for my plan.

I hadn’t seen her in months and I kept away from her for a reason. I mean when we were all together as friends in a group, of course we saw us and we exchanged some words, but I saw the way she glared at me sometimes, like I had done something to her… I just didn’t know what.

We started out as being friends like I was with everyone, she was with Chris, that’s how I got to know her, or well… a little earlier even, but that didn’t matter.

When Chris brought her to one of our gatherings, introduced her as his girlfriend, we all knew what that meant, she was off limits, because a guy’s girl was off limits no matter what. She fit right into our group, she was fun, and witty but something had changed over the months, maybe years.

She didn’t seem to have a problem with the other guys, at least I couldn’t determine anything, I had watched her more closely during the last parties, but I had no idea what her problem with me was. So I didn’t know how she would react when I would show up at her door, but I would soon find out.

When she let me in I couldn’t hinder but watch her up and down, like she did with me. She was wearing nothing but a tank top and those panties, making it even harder to look away again, because there was no denying the beauty of her.

I knew what I was about to say to her, after our little back and forth was done, would probably not go over easy, but she would hear of the situation anyway and it didn’t really matter who brought the news to her, right?!

I handed the envelope to her and she read the lines, I heard her sharp intake of breathe, her curse and then saw a tear run down her cheek.

I really wanted to go to her and hug her to me, wanted to comfort her and tell her that it will be alright, that if someone left her it was his own fault, but I knew she wouldn’t appreciate my kindness. She would take it the wrong way not matter what. So I kept my distance, even took a step back to not get in danger of getting closer to her, so I just watched her from the distance.

I tried to tell her how I saw the whole situation, but I saw the absent look in her eyes and how another tear ran down her cheek before she turned her back on me. I hated myself for the next words but said them anyway.

“When you are done, I’ve got a proposition for you.” I said and saw how Everly turned back around to me and this time instead of pure sadness there was now a little spark of anger when she replied “You are remarkably insensitive, you know that, right?”

“I can’t believe that’s a new information for you” I gave her a smirk and she replied without a second thought “It’s not, yet I keep letting you surprise me” The smile I tried to hide broke free, that’s how we worked before she kept on hating me.

“Well aren’t we all full of surprises, lately?” I asked and immediately the playfulness disappeared from Eve’s eyes and I regretted my words but couldn’t take them back anymore.

“You better leave now” She pointed to the door with a hard stare and I shook my head but took a couple of steps towards her.

“I want you to come with me to that wedding, Eve” I said the nickname I rarely used, hadn’t been allowed to use.

“You’re out of your mind.”

“If I am, it benefits you.”

“How?”

“Come with me and I make your debts disappear. I saw the eviction note on your door, Eve. I know you need help”

She looked away, her cheeks heating up and then she stared at me for a solid minute without saying another word, I didn’t know if she was just speechless for my suggestion or if she would send me out again right away.

“Like I said, you are out of your mind.” She finally hissed and stood now next to the door waiting for me. I took the hint, and met her at the door again but I stood so close to her that she was backed against the door.

“Listen to me Eve,” my voice steely “I can’t let this marriage happen, and neither can you. Do you want Chris to marry that woman? That is the kind of mistake that lasts a lifetime” I said, we couldn’t let our friend marry that woman, no matter what crazy thoughts Chris was having right now, that he did this kind of stunt.

“I know that”

“Then goddammit, come with me”

“No”

I took another step closer our body’s almost pressed together “Why not?”

“Because”

“Well, thank you for the explanation” I said with sarcasm and feeling frustrated, when she looked at me next she narrowed her eyes at me.

“You just want me there, to lure him away from your ex” She said finally and I met her eyes.

“What if that was the case?”

“Then it’s fucked up” She answered and I could guess what she was meaning, but I had to hear it from her myself.

“How so?”

“You think about me being weak. You think I would be willing to take him back? He disappeared on me without another word. He was engaged to me and left me, to marry of another woman, and now you are hoping for me to run back to him, like nothing happened? You think I want someone who left me without thinking twice. I’m sorry to break it to you, Brian, but I have more respect for myself than that.”

I stared at her, and understood her, damn she was speaking so fiercely her cheeks flushing, her eyes sparking that little fire I saw earlier and with us standing so close, I felt a lot, I shouldn’t be feeling right now.

“And now you leave” She turned around and presented her back to me, I took another step forward, my front brushing her back.
She grabbed for the door handle and so did I, our fingers brushing, before she pulled away in a second.

“Alright, I leave. Let me know when you change your mind.” I said before opening the door and stepping around her.

“Don’t be shy to call me whenever you want.” I winked at her with a smirk and her narrowed eyes disappeared when she slammed the door in my face.
Everly’s POV
I walked out of the break room and saw the clique of the rest of the waitresses standing in a corner, probably gossiping, or trying to come up with another plan to fool me.

I hated this job, I really did, but I needed the money, I needed all the money I could get right now, even if it meant, for me to work in this shitty bar and serve asshole clients from University or other slimy men.

Even worse was the so called uniform that we had to wear, it was a white shirt, with the name of the bar on it, a black mini skirt and over knee socks in black and white. It was horrible, and it seemed to invite almost every customer in the bar to slap your ass and laugh at you.

And my coworkers hated me from day one, I don’t think it had anything to do with me personally, but with the shared tip pool at the end of each shift. One more person to share the money with, and that was me, was probably reason enough to make my life even more a living hell.

I grabbed my tablet from the bar and heard Claudia say “Please, let me serve him. I give you 50 bucks” I frowned, since when would they want to serve a table and hand money over?

“I’ll do your Friday shift, if you let me” Denise said and I got curious as to who the girls were talking about, but didn’t want them to know.

I walked past them when “the leader” spoke up “No way, girls. He is mine, watch and learn” She answered and hit me with her tablet in the side, an accident of course. I rolled my eyes knowing how I was treated here by now and tried to ignore it.
When I walked out to my section to look if any customer needed me, I chanced a glance into the direction of the table the others had been talking about, and of course, I should have known…

I closed my eyes and sighed, Brian was here, off course he was here. I hadn’t heard from him in days and it was only a matter of time, until he showed up.

I watched how Jen leaned down to him, and how Brian smiled at her with disinterest, I had to hide a small smile, seeing how hard she was trying. Until Brian’s eyes met mine and I quickly looked away.

I served my tables when Jen walked over to me, anger written on her features and I frowned “He asked for you” Was the only words she got out before she motioned with her head to his table.

I suppressed the groan and slowly walked over to his table “Don’t” I said when I reached his table.

He laughed already, that smile he tried to suppress wasn’t working at all “What?” He asked and I sighed “All the stupid jokes… yes, I work here, yes, I’m wearing this stupid outfit and all the other stuff”

“No judgment on my part, I kinda begin to like the outfit” Brian eyed me up and down, making me uncomfortable.

“How did you find me?” I asked trying to ignore his comment and stare.
“I saw the paycheck on your counter” He answered, reminding me of his visit and I rolled my eyes, of course he had.

“And I don’t get it, tell me again, why would you rather work here, then go to the wedding with me?” Brian asked looking at me curiously.

“Because I rather work in a shitty place then for a prick” She shot back and I nodded “Charming.” He replied a smirk on his lips.

“I wanted to clarify something from my visit on Wednesday, since you haven’t called” He patted the chair next to him and I sat down, I felt exhausted and could use a break anyway.

“Look, I know you are smarter than to run back to Chris.” His voice low, his eyes meeting mine “We all don’t know what came to his mind. And my personal opinion if you want to know it, you deserve better than him, anyway” He sounded sincere and that disarmed me.

“But the thing is Chris is our friend, and I don’t want him to marry into crazy. He doesn’t know what he is getting himself into. I mean, this will help you too. The worst case scenario, is him marrying her and you still get your closure, I know you want answers, we all want that and you get your debts paid. Doesn’t sound too bad, does it?”

I clenched my fist underneath the table, he was sadly right, it did sound good. Too good.
“No one will believe that you and I became a couple” I said and Brian gave me that smirk again “No one would believe that Chris is planning to marry my ex, huh? Yet still…” He trailed off and I sighed.

“We could say, I went to your house, to tell you about the wedding, you were distraught. And we hit it off…” Brian said and I frowned I couldn’t believe I was actually thinking about this.

“You know I have a real job, beside this one. If you want to head to the wedding before it takes place, and all that, I won’t get off that easily” I said defensively.
“I have a plan for that too.” Brian grinned and I rolled my eyes, of course he did.

When I turned around I saw, how the clique was watching me and Brian, making faces at me, and lusting after him, probably not believing that he wanted to speak to me, while all the women here were watching his every move.

I stood back up, I had to think about all this, this was stupid and risky and I had no idea why I was even thinking about it. Brian’s eyes followed me and I swallowed thickly, thinking to see lust in his eyes but quickly shaking that thought off.

But then right on cue Jen walked past me, gave me a hip check and making me tumble into the table, pushing over the glass on the table and wetting my shirt and making me land on Brian’s lap.

I clenched my jaw as I heard my coworkers rippling snorts behind me, and I could feel my tolerance for bullshit reaching capacity.

I pushed of Brian’s lap and got back to my feet, I met Brian’s eyes and said without thinking twice “I won’t be your dirty fling”

“What?” Brian looked confused and I clarified “If I go with you to that wedding as your date, Brian. I’m going to be seen as your girlfriend, not another cheap fling. If you can manage to act like you have that kind of respect for a woman, then you got yourself a deal.”

“Done. Anything else?” Brian said without a blink, making me frown. “I am a little concerned that you don’t even know what I meant, but we will probably have to work on that.” I said and Brian chuckled “Well, and you will have to work on the passion part.”

“What?” I frowned and he grinned even more “If we play the part, you have to work up some passion level as well, or no one will believe us” Brian said and I rolled my eyes at him. “We will talk about that.”

I looked up and around, if I had a deal now, I wouldn’t need this shitty job anymore. I placed the tablet on the table, pulled my hair free from the ponytail and asked Brian “Ready to go?”

He looked confused “In the middle of your shift?”
“Yes, I think I don’t need this anymore” I smiled, letting my eyes wander back to Jen and her friends. They were watching us with hawk eyes.
“You have your first task as my boyfriend, Brian- Walk me out here like a gentleman, like my loving boyfriend.” I wanted to show those bitches that their dirty laughs were for nothing. I could at least give them a little payback.

Brian grinned “Got it, babe” and just like that Brian stood up, placed his hand in the small of my back, walking me towards the bar, he pulled me against his body, and I had to remind myself what I was doing here.

The other waitresses were gaping at Brian and me when I told them “Tell them I quit?” Brian leaned down to whisper in my ear “You having a blast, showing off, have you?!” I had to hide the smirk this time, this felt good, and I never had imagined it would, so I waved to my gaping jealous ex-coworkers “Bye”

Notes

Monday Update!
How was the weekend?

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