Glyn woke up around nine. She didn't hear any noises from anywhere in the apartment and wondered if she was the only one awake, then remembered that Marian had gone to work early. She tried to brush her hair and sighed. There was ice cream in it. She decided to check on Spike and see if Brian was awake yet then take a shower. Spike greeted her ecstatically as soon as she left her bedroom but there was no one in the living room. Three blankets were folded and left on the coffee table. 'Funny....' she thought. 'I thought I gave Brian two blankets. Looks like he's not here.' She walked into the kitchen and found a note written on a piece of computer paper taped to the door written in Marian's handwriting. She read it without taking it down. 'Hiya Glyn! I decided not to wake you up when I got up at six. Spike already had a walk this morning. I'll get back around four but I have a half hour break at eleven, in case you want to come visit me (hint hint hint). I left food for Spike but I dunno if the hybrid ate it-I found him this a.m. in the bag of dog food. Oh well! J Seeya! -Marian.'
"Aww, poor Mari. She had to go to work, Spike. She'll be back later, though." Glyn pulled the note off the door and another piece of paper fell on the floor. "Ooo, what's this..." She picked it up interestedly. "'Hi Glyn-It's 8:36 by the clock on your microwave.Thanks so much to you and Marian for letting me camp out here. I have another thing to ask you- where does Marian work? I know it's at a book store somewhere but I can't remember exactly. Maybe you could call my cell phone sometime this morning? Thank you so so much. Sorry my dog ate Spike's food. He says he's very grateful for his two baths and the free meals. Later, Brian.' Hmm......" Glyn looked thoughtfully at Spike. "What is going on with those two? You must know something, Spike. Now spill it." Spike drooled on the floor. "Oh, all right." Glyn started some coffee and took a shower, reminding herself to call Brian later on, even though she somehow had a feeling Marian might not want her to.
~
When Brian walked into the kitchen, Kevin was gone. Audrey was delicately perched on a couch in the living room. She smiled at him innocently but her eyes were cold.
"Hey sweetie."
"Hi Audrey."
"I noticed that you never came home from last night." Between two fingers she held a note Brian had left for her the first time he went to Glyn and Marian's. He shrugged disinterestedly, feeling strangely optimistic.
"Slept on the couch."
"I'm assuming they don't have beds." She tossed her hair haughtily.
"Jeez, Audrey...." Brian chuckled. "You'd think you were jealous of them or something. As a note, I've never seen either Glyn or Marian's room so I don't know if they have beds or not. I didn't think I'd need to tell you nothing happened."
"I thought you loved me, Brian!" She threw the note on the floor. Brian dropped onto a couch and held his hands up.
"What can I say? Same here."
"But I do love you!"
"It's okay, Audrey. You don't have to lie," he said amiably.
"Brian!!" she wailed.
"Audrey, I can't marry you," he said simply. This didn't have to be spiteful; he'd just tell her they were through and leave.
"What?" she gasped, afraid he'd been about to say that.
"I... can't... marry... you," he repeated slowly.
"But honey!" Audrey sobbed. "But.... we're gonna get married, remember? And I'm going to have babies and we'll name our first daughter after your mom, remember? I promised her! Brian, why?"
"I can't," he said tensely. This was going to be difficult if Audrey brought his family into it.
"What's Geoffrey going to say? And Mom? And Dad?" Tears spilled out of her eyes.
"I don't know," Brian muttered.
"What will Kevin say? Mom's going to be inconsolable! You're like a son to her! Brian, do you really mean this?"
"Stop interrogating me!" Brian pleaded. He wasn't going to listen to anything about Audrey or his family, especially not about Kevin...
"Brian.. I'm sure we can work this out.." Audrey reached for a phone. "I'm calling Kevin! Kevin will talk some sense into you!"
"Don't. I think of all people, Kevin would be the last to change my mind."
"What exactly do you mean by that?!"
"Exactly what you think I mean, darling." He smiled calmly.
"How dare you suggest that-"
"Forget it. I didn't say it." Brian didn't want to argue. He just wanted to leave. "So... Engagement's off, no hard feelings, agreed?"
"No!" she shrieked. "The engagement is not off! It can't be!"
"Yes it can," Brian contradicted cheerily.
"I can't believe you're doing this to me! You know Nick wouldn't have liked it."
"Yes he would." He had been waiting for her to say something about Nick.
"Fine! The engagement's off!" she surrendered. "I hope that slut's happy!"
"Come again?"
"I said I hope that slut's happy. I think you know who I mean!"
"Audrey, don't be childish," he said lightly. He looked at a clock. It was a little past ten. He hoped Glyn would call soon.
"This is so unfair!" she cried. Brian was tired of hearing her voice.
"Just so you know-"
"What? I think I know everything I need to," she interrupted sullenly.
"For once, would you let me talk?! I wasn't going to tell you, but I was here last night. For about five minutes, probably sometime between eleven and midnight." Audrey looked strangely at him for a few moments then hung her head and cried quietly. Brian heard his cell phone ringing. Where had he left it? It might be in the kitchen... what if Glyn was calling? He dashed out of the room. Audrey went outside and in a few minutes Kevin drove by to see her so Brian didn't have to worry about giving her a ride home.
"Hello?"
"Hey Bri. What's up?" AJ asked.
"Um, I'm not engaged to Audrey anymore," Brian informed him.
"Really? That's great!! Oh! I mean... I'm sorry. Why?" AJ didn't pretend he wasn't glad.
"After I dropped you off last night I came here and Audrey and Kev seemed like they didn't really need my company. And then also there's this girl and-"
"Jeez!! I'm sorry you had to find out that way. What'd you do?"
"I slept on a couch at Glyn and Marian's apartment. Umm, AJ? Where does Marian work?"
"I dunno...." AJ was surprised Brian wasn't taking this badly. "A bookstore. I don't know how to get there, though."
"Oh... Thanks anyway. Hey... I'll talk to you later, ok?" What if Glyn tried to call while he was talking to AJ?
"Cool. Seeya." Brian hung up and stared at the phone, waiting for it to ring. Twenty minutes passed. Fifteen more minutes passed. Another seven minutes went by. Brian frowned at his phone. He wasn't going to be able to talk to Marian during her break. At two minutes past eleven the phone rang again.
"Hello?"
"Brian! I'm so sorry I didn't call earlier!" Glyn had figured out why he needed her to call.
"It's okay." Glyn told him where Marian's book store was. With luck, he might be able to get there by 11:30. He thanked Glyn, hung up, and a phone on the wall rang.
"Hello?"
"Bri, it's Kevin."
"Well hello Kevin." Brian didn't feel too angry at Kevin.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about-"
"It's okay, really."
"No it's not! I-"
"We're still cousins, man."
"I told your mom," Kevin confessed. "That you and Audrey broke up."
"She had to find out some time..." 'Shit! She'll be calling any second now.'
"I guess. I'm so sorry, Bri, it just-"
"I heard you," Brian said softly and hung up.
~another phone conversation~
"Hello?"
"Hi Mari! Happy lunch break."
"Oh.. hi Glyn. Happy 11:28."
"Sorry I didn't visit you."
"It's okay."
"I was also going to call sooner but Spike was having a bath."
"Really it's fine. How's Spike?"
"He misses you! Marian, what happened last night?"
"What?"
"Hello??? With you and Brian."
"We just talked for a while. I have to go Glyn. I'll tell you about it later."
"But it's only 11:29!"
"Bye."
"Seeya."
Ten minutes passed without incident. 'This is a bad day and it's getting worse.' Marian wished someone would open another register. There were too many customers today. She wanted to go home and talk to Glyn and play with Spike.
"Marian, hey." Someone named Laura came in late and opened a register. "I can help the next person," she announced. Marian saw her eyes widen very slightly. "Umm… Sir? That would be you."
"No thanks," a familiar voice replied. "I'm really just here to see Marian because I missed her lunch break." Marian looked up nervously. Brian smiled brightly at her and waved. 'Oh jeez. What is he doing here?!' She looked at the change in her hand and remembered that she was supposed to be counting the right amount for someone who'd just bought a book about Monet. 'Damn! 31 cents is a quarter, a nickel, and a penny. Right? Think, Marian. This isn't hard.' She found the appropriate coins and handed them to an annoyed person who marched out with her purchase.
"Hello Marian!" Brian said cheerfully, sitting a stack of books in front of her.
"Hey," she muttered.
"What's up?"
"Nothing, you?" She sounded very uneasy.
"Oh, not much. Audrey and I broke up."
"You did?? …. Again?"
"This is the last time," he said in a more serious tone.
"Nice to know you feel that way. Your total is 32.75."
"Umm.. um, Marian?"
"What?" She looked behind Brian. There were still too many customers. Why couldn't they all just go away?? Brian noticed that there were other people in line waiting and handed her a few chocolate bars from a box on the counter.
"I think I'm getting these too."
"Okay…." Marian sighed. She knew she shouldn't have left that note in plain sight. She should have shoved it under Glyn's door.
"Hey…uhm… You don't wanna go out for dinner tonight, do you?"
"What?" She looked up as though she hadn't heard. "34.85." He handed her more chocolate and she laughed.
"Please? I know you were listening." 'Unless Audrey's dead he might have another guilt attack and patch things up with her in a few weeks.'
"I don't know."
"Marian!!" Laura squealed. She'd been watching interestedly. "How can you possibly say no?!"
"Yeah, Marian. How can you?" Brian smiled persuasively.
"Okay, fine. Hey Brian?" Some other people in line were looking very irritated.
"What?"
"39.16."
"Oh yeah!" He grinned and handed her two twenties. Marian stuffed his books in a bag, blushing, and handed it to him then started counting out change. Brian left the chocolate he'd bought on the counter. "That's for you. For letting me sleep on your couch last night."
"No! It's yours!" Marian protested.
"I'll call you later about dinner!" he promised and practically skipped out of the store.
"Blah blah blah." Glyn sighed and kicked at a shoe on the floor. "What shall we do today Spike?" Spike looked at her sorrowfully and licked her arm. "Awww you're so cute!" Glyn scratched his head. "I'm talking to a dog! I'm insane! I guess talking to a dog is better than talking to myself, though. Not to be insulting to you, Spike. Cause, you know, just because you're a dog and everything doesn't mean you don't have feelings. Not that you understand me. Or maybe you do. I wonder what AJ is doing. Do you think he's out with a pretty model person? With a name like.. oh I don't know.. Jalyssa? Or Deidre. That's a model name kinda. Or maybe her name is Charice or something. Ew. DAMNIT!" Glyn had stepped on something sharp, and she was barefoot. "Look Spike I'm bleeding!" Glyn sat on the floor and held a sock against the bottom of her foot. "Blood! Spike! Don't lick my face! Aggh!" Spike had started madly licking Glyn's face. "I love you too."
Someone was laughing at her from the doorway.
"Don't you knock?" Glyn turned around to glare at AJ. "I'm going to start locking the door if you make a habit of just waltzing on in on your own.."
"No you won't." AJ smiled and walked over to where Glyn was sitting.
"Yes I will! I WILL, damnit." Glyn sighed. "I'm bored."
"Hmm.." AJ sat beside her and Glyn leaned her head on his shoulder. "We could go somewhere."
"Yeah… I guess. Whatever." She smiled. AJ kissed her forehead and the phone rang. "I should get that."
"I thought you didn't answer the phone." AJ frowned and put one arm around her waist.
"I don't. But I really should get that." Glyn detached herself from AJ and picked up the phone.