SUNDAY: THE DAY OF UNREST
By Sunday morning, Beth couldn't get out of her apartment fast enough. The previous night had been such a disastrous emotional roller coaster, she was surprised that Travis was still asleep in her bed. Her nerves were still shot, her stress level was at an ultimate high and as if she couldn't take any more brain teasers for one weekend, what she saw at the end of the hallway at Juliet's door threw her for a loop.
Eric stood outside the door, leaning into it, the only part of Juliet that was visible were her arms around his neck. Her giggle—her giggle...at a man...which was a completely foreign sound coming from her—could be heard all the way down the hall. Beth tried not to stare, standing there in her heavy coat, pajama pants, and bagel bag, but she couldn't help herself. It was like watching—and hearing—an extinct soul being magically brought back to life. Like a myth coming true. It was bizarre. And a little heartwarming.
"Call me later," Juliet flirted. "And tell me all about your workout. I'm going to need you to help me with the visual I'll be having all day."
"Or I could just stay here and bench press you," he flirted back.
"Oooh," she giggled. "I'd love to watch you bench press anything."
"You're cute, you know that?"
"I'm not cute, I'm just happy."
And then he disappeared into the doorway, no doubt to kiss her, before finally stepping backwards out of it and turning to make his way toward Beth. If Beth didn't feel as rotten as she did, she might be embarrassed for Eric to see her in such a state—or to see her witnessing their little exchange. On the other hand, with the way she was feeling this morning, all he was was Travis's brother and that, alone, was enough to cause her not to give a shit.
Before she had a chance to look inconspicuous, Eric's eyes landed on her and he grinned, stopping to greet her. "Hey," he said cheerfully, much too cheerfully for her mood. "Jules kicked me out just for you."
"Learn to expect it," she snapped. "It's our Sunday ritual."
"Yeah..." he replied warily, his expression falling. "She told me..."
Beth sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I just—I don't feel my best this morning, it's nothing personal. It makes me happy to see her happy and if it's because of you, then...well, you know I can't be mad at you."
"Hey," he said gently. "We're all allowed to have our moments. No sweat. Travis at your place?"
"That's where he stays. Miraculously," she muttered.
"Oh. Okay. I'll just, uh...I'll just call him. I hope you get to feeling better, okay?"
"Thanks," she replied, turning to watch him walk past her. She felt horrible for snapping at him. She wasn't this person. This wasn't her. She should just avoid all human contact for the next several days.
Juliet had been peeking out her door, no doubt to watch Eric leave, and her eyes lit up with a smile at the sight of Beth. "Hey! You're just in time!"
"For the show, apparently," Beth murmured as she trudged in the door past Juliet.
Closing the door behind her and helping take the load off of Beth's hands, Juliet frowned underneath her dark ponytail. "Um...are you mad?"
Beth paused and she studied her best friend's confused expression before finally snapping out of her own despair. "Oh, sweetie, no," she said. "No, I'm happy. You seem...really happy..."
"It's so weird," Juliet smiled, her eyes darting around in thought. "We spent all weekend together. We...we went to dinner Friday night and it was like the date never ended. I was afraid he might get sick of me, but...well I practically had to shove him out the door this morning! Beth, I've never felt this way before! Ever. I just...I spent this weekend allowing myself to just give in and let things happen and...it feels like...like..."
"Happiness?"
"Freedom," she replied, her smile widening. Then she began to blush as she led Beth into the kitchen. "God, Beth, he's amazing. He's so much fun to be around and we can talk for hours and he's—he's so intelligent and articulate...and hilarious! I've never laughed so hard in my life, he's a complete goofball. And the sex! Holy shit, let me just tell you about the sex. I've been in so many positions this weekend that I didn't even know were possible. Did you know that if you lay on your side and you take your leg and—?"
"Can we maybe not discuss how amazing your sex life is right now? I mean, no offense, but..."
Suddenly, a look of concern washed over Juliet's face and she stopped pouring the coffee into the cups that she'd reserved for them. "Oh, no! Is everything okay?"
"Oh, no, don't stop pouring," Beth waved at her. "By all means, top me off." Then she sighed and leaned a hand on the counter. "I got my period last night."
"Um..." Juliet's eyes darted around in confusion before she scrunched up her nose. "Congratulations you're not pregnant?"
"No," Beth replied matter-of-factly. "I got my period during sex last night. I had zero warning. So it was more like 'Damn, baby, you're so wet,' and then it looked like a fucking massacre all over my sheets. I've never been so humiliated in my entire life."
"Oh, my god..."
"I wanted to die. I cried. Travis was freaked out and turned off in a millisecond. I went straight into the bathroom and cleaned myself up..." Then Beth felt her heart melting a little at the memory. "And then he came in the bathroom and showered with me. And while we're showering, he suggested we go get ice cream. At three in the morning, he wants to go out for ice cream. And I was like, 'Are you serious?' And he said, 'Isn't chocolate ice cream what women like during these times?' And then...he took me out for ice cream. And it was the best ice cream I ever tasted. And I think I fell in love last night."
Finally, Juliet's expression changed and she blinked at her best friend. "It's been two weeks," she deadpanned.
"I know. I know. I know it seems like I fall in love fast...often...but this time it's different."
"It's always different."
"But this time is seriously different. I don't think there's a set amount of time involved for you to just know, Jules. I just—I just know. I mean, I haven't told him yet, but...but we're talking about moving in together."
"What?"
"We've maybe spent two nights apart since we met. I'm starting to get used to having him around and he's not wearing out his welcome and I hate when he's not around—"
"This is Travis we're talking about," Juliet clarified. "Travis Reynolds. Eric's twin brother, avid partier, historical loafer..."
"With a sensitive side that runs deeper than...well, deeper than mine. He makes me think, Jules. When he speaks, I'm mesmerized. The person he is behind closed doors with me is completely different than the person the general public sees. He—he lays in bed and reads books with words I'll never be able to pronounce. He's deeply passionate about things like animals and the environment—"
"He's a hippie."
"He's perfect. And he's mine and...and, well, I want to keep him." Then Beth paused and she frowned. "But I don't want that bitch, Mother Nature, to send him packing."
"Well," Juliet smirked. "You did say he's passionate about the environment."
Beth glared across the island as she finally raised her coffee to her lips. "Anyway," she continued. "I feel like shit today. I'm still humiliated and my emotions don't even know which way is up right now. He's still at my apartment—on clean sheets—and I still can't believe he stayed. I bled on him, Jules. I bled all over him. I wouldn't wish that humiliation on anybody."
Juliet was silent as she carefully removed a bagel from the bag and sliced it open. "Well," she said. "This is one of those times where one of these days you'll look back on it and laugh. Right?"
"He's already making jokes," Beth sighed. "And they're humiliating."
"Tell them they're humiliating."
"Oh, I would. But he has this—this cute smile when he does it—"
"I know the smile you're talking about."
Beth raised an eyebrow at Juliet.
"Twins," Juliet reminded her. "Don't forget, nine out of the ten expressions you're falling for, I'm falling for, too."
"That's so weird," Beth mused in thought.
"I'm beginning to understand what you meant during our conversation yesterday morning. It is a little strange."
"And, yet, when I look at Eric, I feel nothing," Beth mused further.
"Same with Travis," Juliet agreed. "Same face, same eyes, same body shape—I got nothing. It's a good thing they're such different people. At least we'll never confuse them with one another."
For the first time since before Travis left for the part the previous night, Beth giggled. "That's true." Both women, armed with coffee and bagels, made their way back to Juliet's living room and curled up on the couch, Juliet flipping the television to the home and garden channel, knowing they would likely ignore the screen. "So tell me more about this moving in stuff. It sounds permanent. I mean, it's one thing to stay over several nights a week, but moving in..."
"Feels right," Beth finished. "Everything feels right with him. The subject came up several nights ago when he made me dinner at my apartment. We started talking about our jobs and interior design and he used the word 'we' in a sentence. And he caught himself and we stopped for a moment and it just...felt right. And I looked at him and I decided that sitting right there at my kitchen island with him, on bar stools, eating fish and beansprouts and wine was exactly where I wanted to be—every single night. With him."
"Beansprouts?" Juliet asked, coughing on a piece of her bagel.
"He's a very clean eater," Beth nodded, matter-of-factly.
"That's one way those guys are different," Juliet muttered. "Anyway, so then...?"
"So then...it got awkward. And then I just spilled my guts. I kind of had a case of verbal diarrhea, I went from giving him his own drawer to his own key and then finally I asked him about his rent situation. And then I asked him if he wanted to move in."
"Relationship suicide, from what I understand..."
"Well, he didn't immediately say yes. He said he needed some time to think about it. And that was okay because I needed time to process it, too. Then, the next thing I know, he's coming over last night from leaving that party early and he wanted to talk about it. He says he doesn't hate the idea. I mean, like I said, he's at my place practically every night anyway. So we spent the night discussing our routines and our living habits and our schedules, and then I bled all over him. And now here we are. But he's still in my bed, so that's a good sign, right?"
"I gotta admit," Juliet said, finishing off the coffee in her mug. "If he's willing to stick around after a night like last night, he sounds like a keeper."
"Yeah, but does he want to be a keeper?"
"He's still in your bed, isn't he?"
"What if he's just trying to be nice?"
"Beth. Sweetie," Juliet said, arching an eyebrow. "If it were me and I were a man and my girlfriend bled all over me, I probably would have needed to go home and assess the situation before I moved further in the relationship. But that's coming from someone who doesn't do relationships, either."
"Until this weekend," Beth pointed out.
Juliet's face softened. "I did tell Eric that I wanted to give things a try last night."
Beth nearly dropped her coffee all over herself and the couch. Resting her mug and her half-eaten bagel on the coffee table, Juliet now had her full attention. "Are you serious? You mean give things a try as in...a relationship?"
"The way he makes me feel is just..."
"It must be something!"
"I had a nightmare last night. And he woke up and he smoked a cigarette with me."
"Ew."
"Ew? You're going to 'ew' me, Bloody Mary?"
Beth glared at Juliet, knowing she had one on her.
"Anyway," Juliet continued with a sigh. "I'm just...tired of being alone. And this weekend went so well and I don't want to stop seeing him, so...I mean, I figure if I'm going to try this whole relationship thing, Eric wouldn't be a bad one to start with. You know?"
"You probably made his life with that, you know that, right?"
"Maybe. But I think he's made mine."
Beth's heart warmed and she smiled at her best friend. "I'm so happy for you," she said warmly. "And I promise it's not because it's that time of the month. I am genuinely happy for you. You deserve this and he is such a great guy. I knew it when I saw him stalking us at the Humane Society benefit."
Juliet blinked at Beth, her eyebrows raised. "Excuse me?"
"I saw him across the street when we were getting out of the car. Then I caught him watching you from the balcony. Oh, if you could only see the way he looked at you. Anyway, that's when I decided to invite him to the party. And then he brought Travis and the rest...is history."
"You talked to him?"
"Yes. In fact, I was trying to introduce him to you when you ran—"
"Because of him. I ran because of him."
"But you're not running now," Beth smirked.
"No," Juliet smiled shyly. "I guess I'm not."
"So this is it, then? You and Eric are...you and Eric?"
Juliet shrugged, her face turning red. "I don't know. I guess. I mean, I don't even know what that means."
"It means you're not going on sleazy fake dates with sleazy fake men anymore. And you're having hot sex any time you want it with the man you want to have it with. Where people can't hear you, of course."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, Jules," Beth shook her head sympathetically. "Travis told me about it when he came home—I mean, to my place."
"Told you what?"
Beth looked around uncomfortably and then she sighed. "The entire bachelor party heard you and Eric having sex last night. Over the phone. Travis got mad about it and that's why he left early. I figured you'd know by now."
"Well—well, how the hell would I—?" And then Juliet's face grew red hot with rage. "That phone," she muttered. "The phone rang and—that bastard. That bastard, I'll kill him—!"
"Juliet, calm down! Calm down, I don't think he knew, either! Travis is convinced it was an accident. And come on, Eric wouldn't put you on display like that. You know he wouldn't. Calm down."
"This is so humiliating," Juliet muttered, covering her face with her hands.
Beth should have felt sorry for her friend, but instead she grinned happily and adjusted herself on the couch. "Yay, you and I can be humiliated together!"
Juliet peeked through her fingers, one eye glaring at Beth. "I love you, you asshole."
"Aww, I love you, too, you bastard," Beth giggled.
Yes, Beth decided that she was probably a horrible person for being happy about Juliet's humiliation. But at least with Juliet, Beth never felt judged or alone, so she then concluded that being happy about it was okay. Satisfied with her current situation, at least momentarily, she helped herself to Juliet's kitchen where she poured another cup of coffee, spiked it with Irish cream, and indulged in a second sweet bagel. She didn't care how she ate today. If Mother Nature was going to be this cruel this week, Beth would show her.
_____________________________________________________
"Five more!" Terrell drilled Eric as he lay on the weight bench and lifted the barbell off his chest.
"You said five more ten reps ago!" Eric grunted.
"Five more!"
"God damn it," he strained through is teeth.
Hitting the gym with Terrell and his massive size was always beneficial but the man was a damned slave-driver. Sometimes Eric didn't think Terrell realized that not every man was a hulk like he was and could lift an entire ton with his pinkie finger. Eric was fit and he was cut, not to be misled, but he was nowhere near Terrell's proportions. He didn't necessarily want to be as large as Terrell, either, but he did desire to be a little larger and a little more defined than he was in that moment. So he did five more reps. And five more. And then he dropped the bar back on the rack above his head.
As he lay there and calmed himself for a moment, Eric was surprised when Travis suddenly appeared over his head. Furrowing his brow, he cocked his head to the side and observed the way Travis rested his elbows on the bar above Eric's head and looked down at him, dressed in gray sweatpants, a navy blue tank top, and his unruly, shoulder-length blonde hair tied on top of his head. His ear buds dangled in Eric's face and Eric batted them away, annoyed, as Travis busied himself by adjusting the gloves on his hands.
"Thought you'd gotten enough of a workout last night," Travis said nonchalantly.
"What?" Eric asked. "I didn't go to the gym last night."
"Nope," Travis agreed. "You were too busy humiliating me."
Eric was about as dumbfounded as it got at this point. "Did I miss something?"
Travis furrowed his brow and rested his forehead on the bar bell. "Well, yeah, you missed something. Not only are you a shitty friend for no-calling and no-showing on our friend's bachelor party, but you just had to rub it in everyone's faces that you were scoring with the infamous Juliet Carson, didn't you?" He emphasized her name with the waving of his hands in the air, Eric detecting a hint of both resentment and sarcasm in his voice.
However his tone and his comment left Eric surprised, offended, and completely confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Like you don't know," Travis sneered. "Was this your way of getting back at me for spending the night in jail? Because congratulations, it was my turn to save your ass."
"Dude!" Eric replied as he sat up to face his brother, his forehead meeting the metal bar with a dense tink. "God damn it!" He growled, collapsing back on the bench and holding his palm to his forehead.
"That's gonna leave a mark," Terrell muttered.
"Hah!" Travis said triumphantly as he left the head of the bench and circled around to stand next to it. "That right there is karma, fucker."
"Travis," Eric groaned. "I didn't go anywhere last night. I didn't do anything, I didn't see anyone but Juliet. What in the actual fuck did you really come here to do?"
"All the guys heard you having sex with Juliet last night," Terrell finally admitted.
Eric's eyes shot open and he turned his head and looked up at his massive best friend. "Do what?"
Terrell only nodded solemnly.
"That's impossible..."
"What's impossible is for you to properly hang up your mother fucking phone!" Travis complained. "Fucking Barry and Jesse and all those assholes had a fucking field day with it. I had to hear that shit on speaker phone. My brother, man. That shit's not right. So I fucking left. I wasn't sticking around with a bunch of douchebags. But not before I told them how I felt about it. You're never gonna live this shit down, man. All because you're a fucking moron."
Suddenly Eric remembered the phone call he got that Juliet insisted he pick up. He swiped his finger over Ignore, he thought, but he must have swiped to answer it instead. Holy shit, he was a moron. "Fuck," he mused quietly. "That was an accident. We were...right in the middle of it and I was gonna let it ring and she didn't want to hear it and...god damn it..."
"Yeah," Travis complained. "So here's all these assholes getting their kicks out of it and here I am ready to puke because—well, because you're my brother and I don't need to hear that shit."
Eric stared at the ceiling, still laying on the weight bench. Fuck. This was all he needed, for his private life to just fly out into the open like this. It was bad enough that he felt like he was starting to grow apart from these guys, anyway, aside from Terrell. But now he didn't feel like he could face them again—at least not anytime soon. "Great. As if those guys don't disrespect Juliet enough every time they open their mouths..."
"Nobody actually knows it was her," Terrell spoke up. "Nobody—you or Travis—ever said her name, so..."
"Well," Eric said, letting out a breath and finally sitting up. "At least I dodged that bullet."
"You ashamed of her?" Terrell asked.
"No!" Eric spat, glaring up at him. "Of course I'm not. But the less they say about her, the better." Then he glared up at Travis. "You gonna lift or what? Are you through spewing your bullshit everywhere for the time being?"
"Yeah," Travis nodded, adjusting his gloves again. "Yeah, I feel better now."
"Good. Switch places with me and pray I don't suddenly remove my hands when you drop the bar."
"Knew I could always count on you," Travis grinned sarcastically.
As the three men continued with their workout, Eric found it hard to stay focused. The fact that his friends had heard him having sex was embarrassing enough, but that wasn't the sum of his thoughts. He couldn't take his mind off of Juliet. Off of their weekend, off of their conversations, off of their...off of their new relationship. Juliet had said she wanted to "try." Eric took that to mean that they were exclusive now. And entering into a new relationship was always scary. But entering into one with a strong-willed woman with a troubled past who was also your business partner? Something that was about to come into full swing come the next morning? Well, that was a completely different ballgame. And Eric could only hope that he was batting for the winning team.
By Sunday morning, Beth couldn't get out of her apartment fast enough. The previous night had been such a disastrous emotional roller coaster, she was surprised that Travis was still asleep in her bed. Her nerves were still shot, her stress level was at an ultimate high and as if she couldn't take any more brain teasers for one weekend, what she saw at the end of the hallway at Juliet's door threw her for a loop.
Eric stood outside the door, leaning into it, the only part of Juliet that was visible were her arms around his neck. Her giggle—her giggle...at a man...which was a completely foreign sound coming from her—could be heard all the way down the hall. Beth tried not to stare, standing there in her heavy coat, pajama pants, and bagel bag, but she couldn't help herself. It was like watching—and hearing—an extinct soul being magically brought back to life. Like a myth coming true. It was bizarre. And a little heartwarming.
"Call me later," Juliet flirted. "And tell me all about your workout. I'm going to need you to help me with the visual I'll be having all day."
"Or I could just stay here and bench press you," he flirted back.
"Oooh," she giggled. "I'd love to watch you bench press anything."
"You're cute, you know that?"
"I'm not cute, I'm just happy."
And then he disappeared into the doorway, no doubt to kiss her, before finally stepping backwards out of it and turning to make his way toward Beth. If Beth didn't feel as rotten as she did, she might be embarrassed for Eric to see her in such a state—or to see her witnessing their little exchange. On the other hand, with the way she was feeling this morning, all he was was Travis's brother and that, alone, was enough to cause her not to give a shit.
Before she had a chance to look inconspicuous, Eric's eyes landed on her and he grinned, stopping to greet her. "Hey," he said cheerfully, much too cheerfully for her mood. "Jules kicked me out just for you."
"Learn to expect it," she snapped. "It's our Sunday ritual."
"Yeah..." he replied warily, his expression falling. "She told me..."
Beth sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I just—I don't feel my best this morning, it's nothing personal. It makes me happy to see her happy and if it's because of you, then...well, you know I can't be mad at you."
"Hey," he said gently. "We're all allowed to have our moments. No sweat. Travis at your place?"
"That's where he stays. Miraculously," she muttered.
"Oh. Okay. I'll just, uh...I'll just call him. I hope you get to feeling better, okay?"
"Thanks," she replied, turning to watch him walk past her. She felt horrible for snapping at him. She wasn't this person. This wasn't her. She should just avoid all human contact for the next several days.
Juliet had been peeking out her door, no doubt to watch Eric leave, and her eyes lit up with a smile at the sight of Beth. "Hey! You're just in time!"
"For the show, apparently," Beth murmured as she trudged in the door past Juliet.
Closing the door behind her and helping take the load off of Beth's hands, Juliet frowned underneath her dark ponytail. "Um...are you mad?"
Beth paused and she studied her best friend's confused expression before finally snapping out of her own despair. "Oh, sweetie, no," she said. "No, I'm happy. You seem...really happy..."
"It's so weird," Juliet smiled, her eyes darting around in thought. "We spent all weekend together. We...we went to dinner Friday night and it was like the date never ended. I was afraid he might get sick of me, but...well I practically had to shove him out the door this morning! Beth, I've never felt this way before! Ever. I just...I spent this weekend allowing myself to just give in and let things happen and...it feels like...like..."
"Happiness?"
"Freedom," she replied, her smile widening. Then she began to blush as she led Beth into the kitchen. "God, Beth, he's amazing. He's so much fun to be around and we can talk for hours and he's—he's so intelligent and articulate...and hilarious! I've never laughed so hard in my life, he's a complete goofball. And the sex! Holy shit, let me just tell you about the sex. I've been in so many positions this weekend that I didn't even know were possible. Did you know that if you lay on your side and you take your leg and—?"
"Can we maybe not discuss how amazing your sex life is right now? I mean, no offense, but..."
Suddenly, a look of concern washed over Juliet's face and she stopped pouring the coffee into the cups that she'd reserved for them. "Oh, no! Is everything okay?"
"Oh, no, don't stop pouring," Beth waved at her. "By all means, top me off." Then she sighed and leaned a hand on the counter. "I got my period last night."
"Um..." Juliet's eyes darted around in confusion before she scrunched up her nose. "Congratulations you're not pregnant?"
"No," Beth replied matter-of-factly. "I got my period during sex last night. I had zero warning. So it was more like 'Damn, baby, you're so wet,' and then it looked like a fucking massacre all over my sheets. I've never been so humiliated in my entire life."
"Oh, my god..."
"I wanted to die. I cried. Travis was freaked out and turned off in a millisecond. I went straight into the bathroom and cleaned myself up..." Then Beth felt her heart melting a little at the memory. "And then he came in the bathroom and showered with me. And while we're showering, he suggested we go get ice cream. At three in the morning, he wants to go out for ice cream. And I was like, 'Are you serious?' And he said, 'Isn't chocolate ice cream what women like during these times?' And then...he took me out for ice cream. And it was the best ice cream I ever tasted. And I think I fell in love last night."
Finally, Juliet's expression changed and she blinked at her best friend. "It's been two weeks," she deadpanned.
"I know. I know. I know it seems like I fall in love fast...often...but this time it's different."
"It's always different."
"But this time is seriously different. I don't think there's a set amount of time involved for you to just know, Jules. I just—I just know. I mean, I haven't told him yet, but...but we're talking about moving in together."
"What?"
"We've maybe spent two nights apart since we met. I'm starting to get used to having him around and he's not wearing out his welcome and I hate when he's not around—"
"This is Travis we're talking about," Juliet clarified. "Travis Reynolds. Eric's twin brother, avid partier, historical loafer..."
"With a sensitive side that runs deeper than...well, deeper than mine. He makes me think, Jules. When he speaks, I'm mesmerized. The person he is behind closed doors with me is completely different than the person the general public sees. He—he lays in bed and reads books with words I'll never be able to pronounce. He's deeply passionate about things like animals and the environment—"
"He's a hippie."
"He's perfect. And he's mine and...and, well, I want to keep him." Then Beth paused and she frowned. "But I don't want that bitch, Mother Nature, to send him packing."
"Well," Juliet smirked. "You did say he's passionate about the environment."
Beth glared across the island as she finally raised her coffee to her lips. "Anyway," she continued. "I feel like shit today. I'm still humiliated and my emotions don't even know which way is up right now. He's still at my apartment—on clean sheets—and I still can't believe he stayed. I bled on him, Jules. I bled all over him. I wouldn't wish that humiliation on anybody."
Juliet was silent as she carefully removed a bagel from the bag and sliced it open. "Well," she said. "This is one of those times where one of these days you'll look back on it and laugh. Right?"
"He's already making jokes," Beth sighed. "And they're humiliating."
"Tell them they're humiliating."
"Oh, I would. But he has this—this cute smile when he does it—"
"I know the smile you're talking about."
Beth raised an eyebrow at Juliet.
"Twins," Juliet reminded her. "Don't forget, nine out of the ten expressions you're falling for, I'm falling for, too."
"That's so weird," Beth mused in thought.
"I'm beginning to understand what you meant during our conversation yesterday morning. It is a little strange."
"And, yet, when I look at Eric, I feel nothing," Beth mused further.
"Same with Travis," Juliet agreed. "Same face, same eyes, same body shape—I got nothing. It's a good thing they're such different people. At least we'll never confuse them with one another."
For the first time since before Travis left for the part the previous night, Beth giggled. "That's true." Both women, armed with coffee and bagels, made their way back to Juliet's living room and curled up on the couch, Juliet flipping the television to the home and garden channel, knowing they would likely ignore the screen. "So tell me more about this moving in stuff. It sounds permanent. I mean, it's one thing to stay over several nights a week, but moving in..."
"Feels right," Beth finished. "Everything feels right with him. The subject came up several nights ago when he made me dinner at my apartment. We started talking about our jobs and interior design and he used the word 'we' in a sentence. And he caught himself and we stopped for a moment and it just...felt right. And I looked at him and I decided that sitting right there at my kitchen island with him, on bar stools, eating fish and beansprouts and wine was exactly where I wanted to be—every single night. With him."
"Beansprouts?" Juliet asked, coughing on a piece of her bagel.
"He's a very clean eater," Beth nodded, matter-of-factly.
"That's one way those guys are different," Juliet muttered. "Anyway, so then...?"
"So then...it got awkward. And then I just spilled my guts. I kind of had a case of verbal diarrhea, I went from giving him his own drawer to his own key and then finally I asked him about his rent situation. And then I asked him if he wanted to move in."
"Relationship suicide, from what I understand..."
"Well, he didn't immediately say yes. He said he needed some time to think about it. And that was okay because I needed time to process it, too. Then, the next thing I know, he's coming over last night from leaving that party early and he wanted to talk about it. He says he doesn't hate the idea. I mean, like I said, he's at my place practically every night anyway. So we spent the night discussing our routines and our living habits and our schedules, and then I bled all over him. And now here we are. But he's still in my bed, so that's a good sign, right?"
"I gotta admit," Juliet said, finishing off the coffee in her mug. "If he's willing to stick around after a night like last night, he sounds like a keeper."
"Yeah, but does he want to be a keeper?"
"He's still in your bed, isn't he?"
"What if he's just trying to be nice?"
"Beth. Sweetie," Juliet said, arching an eyebrow. "If it were me and I were a man and my girlfriend bled all over me, I probably would have needed to go home and assess the situation before I moved further in the relationship. But that's coming from someone who doesn't do relationships, either."
"Until this weekend," Beth pointed out.
Juliet's face softened. "I did tell Eric that I wanted to give things a try last night."
Beth nearly dropped her coffee all over herself and the couch. Resting her mug and her half-eaten bagel on the coffee table, Juliet now had her full attention. "Are you serious? You mean give things a try as in...a relationship?"
"The way he makes me feel is just..."
"It must be something!"
"I had a nightmare last night. And he woke up and he smoked a cigarette with me."
"Ew."
"Ew? You're going to 'ew' me, Bloody Mary?"
Beth glared at Juliet, knowing she had one on her.
"Anyway," Juliet continued with a sigh. "I'm just...tired of being alone. And this weekend went so well and I don't want to stop seeing him, so...I mean, I figure if I'm going to try this whole relationship thing, Eric wouldn't be a bad one to start with. You know?"
"You probably made his life with that, you know that, right?"
"Maybe. But I think he's made mine."
Beth's heart warmed and she smiled at her best friend. "I'm so happy for you," she said warmly. "And I promise it's not because it's that time of the month. I am genuinely happy for you. You deserve this and he is such a great guy. I knew it when I saw him stalking us at the Humane Society benefit."
Juliet blinked at Beth, her eyebrows raised. "Excuse me?"
"I saw him across the street when we were getting out of the car. Then I caught him watching you from the balcony. Oh, if you could only see the way he looked at you. Anyway, that's when I decided to invite him to the party. And then he brought Travis and the rest...is history."
"You talked to him?"
"Yes. In fact, I was trying to introduce him to you when you ran—"
"Because of him. I ran because of him."
"But you're not running now," Beth smirked.
"No," Juliet smiled shyly. "I guess I'm not."
"So this is it, then? You and Eric are...you and Eric?"
Juliet shrugged, her face turning red. "I don't know. I guess. I mean, I don't even know what that means."
"It means you're not going on sleazy fake dates with sleazy fake men anymore. And you're having hot sex any time you want it with the man you want to have it with. Where people can't hear you, of course."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, Jules," Beth shook her head sympathetically. "Travis told me about it when he came home—I mean, to my place."
"Told you what?"
Beth looked around uncomfortably and then she sighed. "The entire bachelor party heard you and Eric having sex last night. Over the phone. Travis got mad about it and that's why he left early. I figured you'd know by now."
"Well—well, how the hell would I—?" And then Juliet's face grew red hot with rage. "That phone," she muttered. "The phone rang and—that bastard. That bastard, I'll kill him—!"
"Juliet, calm down! Calm down, I don't think he knew, either! Travis is convinced it was an accident. And come on, Eric wouldn't put you on display like that. You know he wouldn't. Calm down."
"This is so humiliating," Juliet muttered, covering her face with her hands.
Beth should have felt sorry for her friend, but instead she grinned happily and adjusted herself on the couch. "Yay, you and I can be humiliated together!"
Juliet peeked through her fingers, one eye glaring at Beth. "I love you, you asshole."
"Aww, I love you, too, you bastard," Beth giggled.
Yes, Beth decided that she was probably a horrible person for being happy about Juliet's humiliation. But at least with Juliet, Beth never felt judged or alone, so she then concluded that being happy about it was okay. Satisfied with her current situation, at least momentarily, she helped herself to Juliet's kitchen where she poured another cup of coffee, spiked it with Irish cream, and indulged in a second sweet bagel. She didn't care how she ate today. If Mother Nature was going to be this cruel this week, Beth would show her.
_____________________________________________________
"Five more!" Terrell drilled Eric as he lay on the weight bench and lifted the barbell off his chest.
"You said five more ten reps ago!" Eric grunted.
"Five more!"
"God damn it," he strained through is teeth.
Hitting the gym with Terrell and his massive size was always beneficial but the man was a damned slave-driver. Sometimes Eric didn't think Terrell realized that not every man was a hulk like he was and could lift an entire ton with his pinkie finger. Eric was fit and he was cut, not to be misled, but he was nowhere near Terrell's proportions. He didn't necessarily want to be as large as Terrell, either, but he did desire to be a little larger and a little more defined than he was in that moment. So he did five more reps. And five more. And then he dropped the bar back on the rack above his head.
As he lay there and calmed himself for a moment, Eric was surprised when Travis suddenly appeared over his head. Furrowing his brow, he cocked his head to the side and observed the way Travis rested his elbows on the bar above Eric's head and looked down at him, dressed in gray sweatpants, a navy blue tank top, and his unruly, shoulder-length blonde hair tied on top of his head. His ear buds dangled in Eric's face and Eric batted them away, annoyed, as Travis busied himself by adjusting the gloves on his hands.
"Thought you'd gotten enough of a workout last night," Travis said nonchalantly.
"What?" Eric asked. "I didn't go to the gym last night."
"Nope," Travis agreed. "You were too busy humiliating me."
Eric was about as dumbfounded as it got at this point. "Did I miss something?"
Travis furrowed his brow and rested his forehead on the bar bell. "Well, yeah, you missed something. Not only are you a shitty friend for no-calling and no-showing on our friend's bachelor party, but you just had to rub it in everyone's faces that you were scoring with the infamous Juliet Carson, didn't you?" He emphasized her name with the waving of his hands in the air, Eric detecting a hint of both resentment and sarcasm in his voice.
However his tone and his comment left Eric surprised, offended, and completely confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Like you don't know," Travis sneered. "Was this your way of getting back at me for spending the night in jail? Because congratulations, it was my turn to save your ass."
"Dude!" Eric replied as he sat up to face his brother, his forehead meeting the metal bar with a dense tink. "God damn it!" He growled, collapsing back on the bench and holding his palm to his forehead.
"That's gonna leave a mark," Terrell muttered.
"Hah!" Travis said triumphantly as he left the head of the bench and circled around to stand next to it. "That right there is karma, fucker."
"Travis," Eric groaned. "I didn't go anywhere last night. I didn't do anything, I didn't see anyone but Juliet. What in the actual fuck did you really come here to do?"
"All the guys heard you having sex with Juliet last night," Terrell finally admitted.
Eric's eyes shot open and he turned his head and looked up at his massive best friend. "Do what?"
Terrell only nodded solemnly.
"That's impossible..."
"What's impossible is for you to properly hang up your mother fucking phone!" Travis complained. "Fucking Barry and Jesse and all those assholes had a fucking field day with it. I had to hear that shit on speaker phone. My brother, man. That shit's not right. So I fucking left. I wasn't sticking around with a bunch of douchebags. But not before I told them how I felt about it. You're never gonna live this shit down, man. All because you're a fucking moron."
Suddenly Eric remembered the phone call he got that Juliet insisted he pick up. He swiped his finger over Ignore, he thought, but he must have swiped to answer it instead. Holy shit, he was a moron. "Fuck," he mused quietly. "That was an accident. We were...right in the middle of it and I was gonna let it ring and she didn't want to hear it and...god damn it..."
"Yeah," Travis complained. "So here's all these assholes getting their kicks out of it and here I am ready to puke because—well, because you're my brother and I don't need to hear that shit."
Eric stared at the ceiling, still laying on the weight bench. Fuck. This was all he needed, for his private life to just fly out into the open like this. It was bad enough that he felt like he was starting to grow apart from these guys, anyway, aside from Terrell. But now he didn't feel like he could face them again—at least not anytime soon. "Great. As if those guys don't disrespect Juliet enough every time they open their mouths..."
"Nobody actually knows it was her," Terrell spoke up. "Nobody—you or Travis—ever said her name, so..."
"Well," Eric said, letting out a breath and finally sitting up. "At least I dodged that bullet."
"You ashamed of her?" Terrell asked.
"No!" Eric spat, glaring up at him. "Of course I'm not. But the less they say about her, the better." Then he glared up at Travis. "You gonna lift or what? Are you through spewing your bullshit everywhere for the time being?"
"Yeah," Travis nodded, adjusting his gloves again. "Yeah, I feel better now."
"Good. Switch places with me and pray I don't suddenly remove my hands when you drop the bar."
"Knew I could always count on you," Travis grinned sarcastically.
As the three men continued with their workout, Eric found it hard to stay focused. The fact that his friends had heard him having sex was embarrassing enough, but that wasn't the sum of his thoughts. He couldn't take his mind off of Juliet. Off of their weekend, off of their conversations, off of their...off of their new relationship. Juliet had said she wanted to "try." Eric took that to mean that they were exclusive now. And entering into a new relationship was always scary. But entering into one with a strong-willed woman with a troubled past who was also your business partner? Something that was about to come into full swing come the next morning? Well, that was a completely different ballgame. And Eric could only hope that he was batting for the winning team.