"I am looking for a copper color,ma'am." An elderly lady told Brooke.
Brooke eyed Brian out of the corner of her eye.
"Yes ma'am. Follow me." She said,as she led her to the brown paints.
The woman was trying to decide between two colors that we almost exactly the same,when Brooke felt someone standing behind her.
She turned around to find Brian there,in his sunglasses and baggy pants,smiling at her.
Brooke sighed and turned back around.
Brian tapped her on the shoulder.She turned around again.
"I am a customer.You can't be rude." Brian said with a grin.
Brooke forced a smile and said,"Yes,sir.How can I help you today?" She said,then decided to add,"You coming to buy paint or me?"
Brian grimaced."Ouch,baby.Actually,I did come to buy paint,thank you."
"Excuse me one moment,please." Brooke said to the woman. Then she led Brian away,over by the stirring sticks.
"What do you want?" She asked,eyeing the manager,so she wouldn't get in trouble.
"No,really.I came to buy paint."
"What are you painting?"
"My mom's bathroom."
"What color?"
"A light blue."
"Fine.Follow me." She said,as she led him to the blue paints.
As she was searching for a baby blue,Brian watched her closely,thinking about how much he wanted to reach out and grab her and just hold her forever.She was like a movie star that everyone wanted to touch,but they couldn't do it.
She turned around. "Ok,here they are.I'll be at the register.Pick the one you want." She said,without even looking him in the eye.She walked over to her register,and started talking to Mark.Brian watched,with complete jealousy.He could see in Mark's eyes that he liked Brooke.The way he smiled at her with a twinkle in his eyes.Then he said something and Brooke laughed and hit him on his arm.
Brian sighed,then picked up a gallon of paint and walked over to the register.Mark left,and Brooke scanned the paint.
*Beep*
"Ok,your total is nine dollars even." Brooke said,looking at the total.
While Brian was digging for a ten from his wallet,Mr.Andrew's,the manager,walked over to Brooke.
"Did you ask this gentleman if he would like assistance painting,Brooke?" He asked.
Brooke could have choked Mr.Andrew's just then.Not once that day had he come to her and asked her that,but when Brian was at the register,he had to make her ask.She was just going to 'forget' so she wouldn't have to go help him paint.
She sighed. "Would you like assistance painting?" She asked Brian,hoping he would say no.
Brian smiled. "Are you going to be the assistant?"
Brooke nodded and said under her breath,"Unfortunately."
"Well then yes,I would like assistance painting,please."
Brooke sighed and signed a sheet that told Mr.Andrew's she went on assistance painting,then she told Brian to grab the paint and follow her to the back of the store.
There,she picked out the stuff she would need.Paint rollers,paint brushes,paint pans,stirring sticks and stuff like that,then Brian followed her out the big exit door at the back of the store.
"You want a ride to your truck?" Brooke asked Brian.
He said sure and got into the company's car.
Brooke drove around the building and parked by Brian's truck.
He picked up the paint and got out of the car,along with a mumbled "Thanks."
Brooke nodded and said,"I'll follow you."
Brian nodded and shut the car door.
He got into his truck and backed out of the parking spot.
Brooke followed him to his parent's house.
On the way,she couldn't figure out how to use the stereo in the car.It was on a crappy station,and Brooke was trying to figure out how to change it.She hit this big black button,figuring it would be tuner,but the lights went out and the radio went off.
"Shit" Brooke hissed.Now she didn't even have any music at all to listen to,and she wasn't about to try and figure out how to turn it back on.She didn't want to get fired for breaking the company's car.
Finally they reached Brian's parents house.
Brooke got out and got all the things she would need and they went inside.
Brian's parents were gone and he knew they would be all day,because they had told him the night before.
Brooke and Brian went to the bathroom to get to work.The toilet and sink and stuff were already covered in plastic,Brian's father had done it that morning.
Brooke began stirring the paint,her back to Brian.Brian had his back to her,while he was opening the paint rollers.Their backs almost touched,the bathroom was so small.
Brooke finished stirring the paint and poured it into a pan.Her and Brian grabbed a paint roller and began painting.They both painted a different wall.
Brian was standing on the toilet painting over it,and Brooke was painting over the sink.
After about twenty minutes of silence,Brian said, "So what.You're not even going to talk to me?"
"I have nothing to say to you,Brian." She replied,flatly.
Brian sighed. "Can I explain?" He asked,putting his roller down and turning to face her.
Brooke kept her back to him. "Go ahead." She said,still painting.
"Ok.I never meant to hurt you.I didn't know you would take it the wrong way.I just love you so much that I wanted to buy you something.It hurts me so much to think about you not being in my world.Without you I have no world,because you are my world,Brooke.Please forgive me.You don't know how hard this is for me."
Brooke stopped painting,but kept her back to him.Brian knew she was crying because he heard her sniff.
"Please don't cry.I don't like to see you hurting." Brian urged.He really did hate to see her sad.When she cried,he would change everything in the world to make it all better for her.
Brooke layed her paintbrush on a piece of plastic and slowly turned around to where she was facing Brian. A single tear fell down her cheek and ran down her neck and disappeared into her shirt.She wiped it away angrily.
"Brian.It's not that I don't like you,because I really do.You just have no idea what I have been through.I don't mean to be so dumb about this,but-"
Brian cut her off."You're not dumb.You were very smart to leave Steve."
"Yes,but look how long I stayed with him.I let him beat me and leave me in strange places." Brooke said.
Brian offered her a gentle hand. "But look at you now.You aren't with the jerk anymore.And I am here to help you in any way I can."
Brooke wrapped her arms tightly around Brian and cried into his shoulder.
"Thank you so much,Brian." Brooke's words were muffled by Brian's neck.
Brian held her in his strong arms and pulled her closer to his body.He just wanted to keep her forever and protect her from anything in the world.